


A Twist of Fate

by mylifeiskara



Series: Bellarke Bingo Board [4]
Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Art Influencer Clarke, F/M, Fluff, It's a rom-com though so not too much angst, Light Angst, Mild Smut, Minor Bellamy Blake/Echo, Minor Emori/John Murphy (The 100), Oblivious Pining, Oblivious Reciprocal Feelings, Rom-Com Best Friend Murphy, Slow Burn, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Teacher Bellamy, jealous!Clarke
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-06
Updated: 2020-08-15
Packaged: 2021-03-05 19:27:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 34,991
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25750561
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mylifeiskara/pseuds/mylifeiskara
Summary: Clarke knows she’s not someone who’s destined to have a soulmate. It’s not in the cards for her, and it’s something she’s working on coming to terms with.Bellamy is ready to be over Gina, but isn’t sure he wants to rush into anything new. Too bad he can’t seem to stop running into the girl he brought home last weekend…In which Clarke and Bellamy have a one-night stand. And Clarke and Murphy have a podcast.
Relationships: Bellamy Blake/Clarke Griffin, Clarke Griffin & John Murphy
Series: Bellarke Bingo Board [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1554154
Comments: 181
Kudos: 338
Collections: Bellarke Big Bang 2020





	1. Nice To Meet Ya

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello!! I don't think I have ever been this excited to share a fic in my life! This is the work I created for this year's Bellarke Big Bang. I've been finished with it since May, and I'm so happy that now is finally the time I get to share it with you all. I'd first like to give a huge thank you to Chloe for running this event, it's been such a fun experience! Also shout out to the peeps in the Discord, I've had so much fun doing sprints and shouting about our stories with each other since January. Also thanks to the peeps at Bellarke Bingo, because this fic helped me knock a few things off my bingo board, namely Jealous Clarke, Oblivious Pining, and Oblivious Reciprocal Feelings.
> 
> My artist [Siv](https://clarkeindra.tumblr.com/) is an actual icon, and I'm so happy we got paired together for this event. Please show the rest of the art some love over on [Tumblr](https://clarkeindra.tumblr.com/post/629725014222110720/a-twist-of-fate-by-queenemori-this-is-a)!
> 
> Another special thank you goes out to [Mobi](https://mobi-on-a-mission.tumblr.com/) for being the best beta to ever exist! Thank you for being with this story every step of the way and flailing with me about it.
> 
> And I'd also like to shout out my friend [imunbreakabledude](https://imunbreakabledude.tumblr.com/) for listening to me ramble about this idea when it was just me wondering how to expand on Clarke and Bellamy having a one-night stand so I didn't have to write a PWP, and then me rambling about how to add in the idea for another fic I had, in which Clarke and Murphy have a podcast.
> 
> And shoutout to Niall Horan for creating the rom-com soundtrack of my dreams that is Heartbreak Weather, particularly [Nice To Meet Ya](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7jeYJA9bgY) because that's where the first inkling of the idea for this fic came from. Obviously it's expanded from there, but this fic would honestly not exist without him.
> 
> Also, I kind of assume this is fairly obvious since it says in the summary that Clarke and Bellamy have a one-night stand, but the first part is basically smut, but it's pretty easy to skip over if that's not your jam.

_“A soulmate is someone to whom we feel profoundly connected, as though the communicating and communing that take place between us were not the product of intentional efforts, but rather a divine grace.” -Thomas Moore_

**________________________**

Bellamy doesn’t make a habit of picking up women in bars. In fact, he’s actually never picked up a woman in a bar. He’s not sure how Miller managed to convince him that having a one-night stand would help him get out of the funk he’s been in ever since Gina broke up with him, but a couple beers in, it starts to seem like a solid plan.

Bellamy’s also not sure how Miller talked him into bar hopping. But there’s this one girl he’s seen and made eye contact with at every bar they’ve stepped foot in. It’s almost as if something’s drawing him to her. It’s probably the alcohol. She ducks her head as their eyes meet again, a blush creeping across her skin. She tucks a loose strand of her hair behind her ear before taking a sip of her beer and turning her attention back to her friend.

He’s still debating whether or not he should go talk to her when she picks up her drink and starts making her way towards him. She walks with a purpose, like she’s done this before. Bellamy downs the rest of his beer as she approaches. Guess there’s no turning back now.

“Call me crazy, but I feel like I’m seeing you everywhere tonight,” she begins.

Bellamy shrugs, trying to sound smooth. “You’re not crazy.” He hopes he doesn’t look as flustered as he feels.

“Maybe it’s fate or something, if you believe in that sort of thing.”

He chuckles before extending his hand. “I’m Bellamy.”

She smiles and shakes his outstretched hand. “Clarke.”

“Nice to meet you, Clarke.”

They stand together in silence for a moment as Clarke sips her drink.

“So, do you? Believe in fate?” Clarke asks.

“I believe in it tonight.”

She chuckles. “Well I’m glad about that.”

Bellamy grins. He really has no idea what he’s doing, but Clarke seems to be taking the lead, so he’s happy to let her do that. He doesn’t always like to relinquish control, but there’s just something about her that makes him feel like he can let his guard down. He’s beginning to think Miller took a long time in the bathroom on purpose, but now he’s glad for that.

“Can I buy you another drink?”

“Sure.” Clarke smiles and brings her drink to her lips and finishes it off. “That offer sounds too good to pass up.”

Bellamy takes a deep breath as he walks from the bar back to the table with their drinks. Clarke is pretty, and she’s hitting on him. He’s way out of his element, seeing as he’s not used to women being so forward with him. Thankfully, she’s easy to talk to, even laughing at some of his corny jokes. So yeah, she’s definitely into him. And if he needed any more confirmation of that fact, once her drink is gone, she leans in and asks if he wants to get out of here. Bellamy smiles, downs the last of his drink, and pulls out his phone to call them an Uber.

He can barely close the door to his apartment before Clarke surges forward, crashing her lips on his. The kiss is urgent, filled with lust. It sends a thrill down Bellamy’s spine and he pushes Clarke in the direction of his bedroom, trying his hardest not to break contact. He’s still wrapping his mind around the fact that this is actually happening, and he tries to still the torrent of thoughts rushing through his brain as he leads Clarke to his room.

Once they’re in his room, Bellamy slips his hands under the hem of Clarke’s tank top and helps her pull it off. She does the same with his shirt then takes his face in her hands and kisses him again. Bellamy puts a hand in her hair and one on her waist as he pushes her back onto his bed.

His lips roam her body, starting with her neck and moving down her body to her chest. He knows he’s never going to have sex with her again, but that doesn’t mean he can’t take his time to learn what she likes. She lets out a satisfied moan when he nips at her breast, and he makes sure to spend extra time there. Clarke moves his hands to the back of her bra and he unhooks it and throws it out of the way.

They continue to shed their clothes as Bellamy works his way down Clarke’s body. As he gets closer to the inside of her thighs, her back arches up off the bed.

“You sure like to take your time,” she muses, slightly out of breath.

“Is that a problem?” Bellamy chuckles.

He slips a hand into her panties and strokes a finger across her slit, cursing under his breath when he discovers how wet she is.

Clarke’s breath hitches and she lifts her head to look at him. “Well now you’re just teasing me.”

“I promise it’ll be worth the wait.”

She giggles. “Oh, so now you act confident.”

Bellamy doesn’t take lightly to his skills being questioned, so he takes Clarke’s remark as a challenge. He gives up on trying to tease her and gets right down to business. He pulls her underwear completely off, holds her hips steady and presses his mouth to her entrance. She doesn’t have much to say once he starts going down on her, her only response to gasp as she threads her hand through his hair. Her hips thrust forward and he moves one hand to rub circles around her clit.

Bellamy has never had sex with someone as vocal as Clarke. It’s really turning him on, and he silently wills himself to remain calm. Thankfully it’s not long before he’s pushing her over the edge. Clarke regains control and from there on, she sets the pace.

“Condom?” she asks, breathing heavily as she pulls Bellamy’s mouth back up to hers.

“In that drawer,” he answers in between kisses.

She practically jumps towards his bedside table, and he smiles at her eagerness.

Condom in hand, she grabs him by the shoulders and pushes him onto his back and lifts a leg over his hips. She leans down to kiss him then lifts off with a hungry look in her eyes. She rolls the condom on and lines herself up before sinking onto him. The mere sight of Clarke moving above him is probably enough to make Bellamy come on the spot, but he’s not so far gone that he can’t keep his composure.

They keep a steady rhythm going, picking up the pace as they get close. Clarke gets there first, Bellamy not far behind. She collapses on top of him briefly, but gets down so he can get rid of the condom.

They both take a moment to catch their breath, then Clarke rolls out of bed to pull on her tank top and underwear to go pee. Bellamy realizes he’s not super sure what happens now that the sex is over. Is there one-night stand etiquette? He figures inviting her to stay is probably standard. Are they going to have some sort of pillow talk if she does stay? Will she be up for round two?

She stops in the doorway as she comes back from the bathroom. Bellamy must have a weird look on his face, because she looks a little confused.

“You good?” she asks.

“Yeah, yeah,” Bellamy answers, not entirely convinced himself. “Um, you can stay. If you want.”

“Okay.”

Clarke makes her way back to the bed and settles herself under the covers. She turns on her side so she’s facing Bellamy.

“You’ve never done this before, have you?”

Bellamy laughs, feeling his face turn beet red. “Is it that obvious?”

“Just a little,” she chuckles. “But it’s cute.”

“Good to know I’ve got that going for me.”

“You’ve got a lot more going for you than just that,” Clarke smirks.

He laughs again, loosening up a bit. He likes Clarke. Too bad protocol says he’s not supposed to see her ever again. He wishes he could just ask for her number. Miller would probably make fun of him for even thinking about asking for it. Good thing he doesn’t have to tell Miller what he’s thinking.

**_____________________**

Clarke wakes up and has to take a moment to remember where she is. She went home with someone last night. Right. She turns over to find Bellamy still fast asleep, his mouth hanging slightly open as he lets out a gentle snore. Clarke chuckles at the sight, then pulls back the covers and gets out of bed to search for the rest of her clothes.

She picks up her pants first, stepping into them and buttoning them up as she scans the room for her bra. She hasn’t found her phone yet, so she assumes it’s out in the living room with her purse. She grabs her shoes and opens Bellamy’s bedroom door slowly, hoping not to wake him, and ventures out into the living room.

Clarke finds her purse, which thankfully contains her phone. She unlocks it to check the time and sees that it’s almost 10. She’s going to be late to meet Murphy at the studio. Shit. She heads for the front door, being careful to open and close it quietly, just in case Bellamy’s roommate came back in the middle of the night.

Clarke types the studio address into Google Maps, and thankfully she’s right by the A train. She’s a little annoyed that she doesn’t have time to go home and change into a different outfit, but she’d be even later if she tried to go all the way back to Washington Heights. She sends Murphy a text with her ETA once she’s at the subway station.

When Clarke and Murphy were seniors in college, they had weekly rant sessions about the fact that they were going to be dirt poor if they pursued the artistic careers they wanted to. Clarke was an art major, and Murphy was an English major, but he wanted to be a musician. In the middle of one of their rant sessions and already through one bottle of wine, Murphy suggested they record their rants. Clarke wasn’t sure about the idea at first, thinking Murphy was just a little drunk, but he kept badgering her about it days later. Sometimes they said funny things, and maybe other people would find their struggle relatable. They started their podcast out of Clarke’s apartment. At first only their friends listened, but their friend Harper helped them out with her social media skills, and after a couple years they actually had a sizable audience.

Things are a lot different now going into their fourth year of doing the podcast, namely that Clarke and Murphy are actually doing pretty well for themselves. Clarke writes a weekly column for a popular art blog, along with a lot of freelance writing, and Murphy is a production assistant for a New York music producer, while also playing guitar on the side. And now instead of recording their podcast on Clarke’s couch, they go to an actual studio with an actual producer. Some things remain the same, though. Harper is still in charge of all their social media and publicity, because they would be lost without her.

Once Clarke gets to her stop, she takes the stairs up onto the street two at a time. She practically runs to the building, not wanting to hear any of Murphy’s shit for being late, even though she knows it’s coming.

Clarke pulls the door to the studio open and throws her things onto the couch. She goes to the kitchenette and grabs her mug and pours herself a cup of coffee. She doesn’t bother putting any cream in it to save time and power walks to the booth. Once she’s inside she’s met with Murphy swiveling around in his chair to face her, arms crossed and shaking his head.

“You’re late,” he smirks. “What do you have to say for yourself?”

“Shut the fuck up, I overslept.” She rolls her eyes and gets situated in her own chair.

Murphy frowns. “Did you sleep in the clothes you wore yesterday?”

“How do you know I wore this yesterday?”

“Your shirt’s all crumpled. So either you picked it up off the floor and threw it on, or you slept in it.”

“You needn’t be so concerned about it. Where’s Monroe? If you’re giving me shit for being late, shouldn’t we get started?”

“Relax. She went to the bathroom since you weren’t here yet. She’ll be right back.”

Clarke nods and takes a moment to finally drink her coffee. She lets out a sigh as the first sip hits her lips.

“Did you hook up with someone last night?” Murphy asks, causing Clarke to choke on her coffee. He tends to ask ridiculous questions when it gets too quiet for his liking.

“What makes you think that?”

“It’s another reason you’re still wearing what you wore yesterday.”

“But it’s also none of your business.”

“I’m just gonna take that as a yes. Also, good for you.”

“Shut up, Murphy.”

“I’m serious! You’ve been in a weird funk ever since Finn skipped town, so it’s nice to see you get out there again.”

“I know we’ve known each other for forever, but it still feels weird to talk about my sex life with you,” Clarke points out.

Of course this is the moment that Monroe decides to come back from the bathroom and into the control room. To her credit, she’s used to them by now, so she just shakes her head and talks to them through the glass.

“Two minutes, guys.”

Murphy sends Monroe a thumbs up and then turns back to Clarke. “It doesn’t have to be weird if we just talk about it more often.”

“I don’t think I want my sex life to be a topic of our conversation.”

“So you’re not gonna tell me anything about your night?”

“You know I went out with Raven. And then I ended up going home with a guy.”

“What was his name?”

Clarke rolls her eyes. “Bellamy. But I don’t see why that’s important, since I’m never gonna see him again.”

“Oh, it was one of those sorts of hook-ups. Can’t relate,” Murphy shrugs.

“Sorry, we can’t all have a soulmate who we love and care for deeply.”

Murphy chuckles, instinctively brushing his arm against his rib cage where his soulmark is. Murphy met Emori when they first moved to New York after college, and he was pretty immediately smitten. Clarke knew he was in love when she tried to make plans with him and he had to cancel, citing that he would be busy every weekend for the rest of time. It didn’t take long before their soulmarks appeared, Murphy’s first, and Emori’s soon after. They’re the only people who have soulmates that Clarke knows, which isn’t a big deal, since soulmates are a rare thing. Sometimes she wishes it could just be that simple, especially after some of the disastrous relationships she’s been in. But it’s not, and Clarke has come to terms with the fact that she might never find a love like that. It’s not in the cards for her.

Monroe signals that it’s time to begin and the recording light flashes on after she counts down. Clarke and Murphy put their headphones on, and jump into their intro from there.

“I’m Clarke.”

“And I’m Murphy.”

“And this is Wine and 1099s. Where we like to complain about being starving millennial artists.”

“We didn’t choose this life. It chose us.”

“And we’re here to commiserate about it for your listening pleasure.”

“So, Clarke. Tell us about last night,” Murphy grins.

Clarke fights the urge to punch Murphy in the face, since it wouldn’t benefit anybody.

“Since our lovely listeners can’t see, I’m currently glaring at Murphy. He’s lucky that’s all I’m doing.”

“Sorry, sorry. We can move on now.”

“Well then, it’s time for ‘Shit My Mom Says to Me.’ Where I say something random my mom said to me or sent me in a text.”

“Abby has been really sassy lately,” Murphy muses. “I’m excited for this.”

“Well we were talking about my column on Becca Franco’s website, and I was explaining that I’ve been going to different art shows and sometimes even getting to interview artists about their work. I can really write about anything I want. And my mom reads my column, even though she doesn’t always understand it.”

“We love a supportive parent.”

“So, for those of you who don’t read my column, this week’s piece was about finding your muse, and how that concept has sort of evolved over time. And so I’m on the phone with my mom, and she brings up the article and then she asks me, ‘So does this mean you’ve been seeing someone?’”

Murphy cackles, as is the norm, especially when Clarke’s mom decides to bring up Clarke’s dating life.

“I don’t think I ever find the things my mom says as funny as you do.”

“And that’s why this is my favorite segment! Well she obviously asked you this before your night last night.” Murphy’s eyes widen as he immediately covers his mouth.

Clarke throws another death glare in Murphy’s direction, then leans even closer to her microphone. “I’d like to state for the record that nothing of note happened to me last night. Murphy has temporarily gone insane, and he’s lucky I actually need him alive.”

They continue on with the show as normal, and to his credit, Murphy does profusely apologize for bringing last night up in the first place once they finish recording. Clarke kind of waves him off, really not wanting to talk about it anymore.

“Can we just agree that we’ll only talk about my sex life if I bring it up?”

“So basically never again?” Murphy nods.

“Exactly.”

**_____________________**

Bellamy wakes up to find his bed surprisingly empty. He wasn’t sure what to expect when Clarke stayed the night, but he thought she’d at least stick around for breakfast. She’s clearly not new to this whole one-night stand thing, so she’s probably got her own routine and decided to stick with that. He sighs and sits up, rubbing his eyes as he looks for a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt. Once they’re on he opens the door and heads to the bathroom before going to the kitchen to make himself something to eat.

He goes to turn on the coffee pot, but sees that it’s already on. Bellamy’s brow furrows as he turns to the living room where Miller is sitting on the couch, a mug in his hand and a cheeky grin on his face.

“Good morning?” Bellamy asks.

“I’ll bet it is,” is Miller’s greeting for him.

“I thought you slept over at Jackson’s last night.”

“I did. But I wanted to come home and talk to you about your first one-night stand.”

“Well if you were hoping to catch a glimpse of her, you’ve been thwarted. She left before I woke up.” Bellamy goes in the cabinet for a mug and pours himself some coffee. He makes his way to the other side of the couch and settles in. He takes a sip from his mug, then turns to see Miller still has the cheeky grin on his face.

“Did you need something?”

“You’re not gonna tell me more about it?”

“I don’t know what more there is to say. We came back here, we had sex, talked a little bit.”

“Did you go for round two?”

Bellamy blushes, but nods, trying to hide his smile by taking another sip of coffee.

“My man!” Miller holds out a hand for a high five, which Bellamy awkwardly meets, knowing he’ll get a lot more shit for leaving his roommate hanging.

“This is a really good thing for you,” Miller continues. “Sometimes all it takes to get over someone is to get under someone new. Now that you’ve done the casual sex thing, maybe you can do it again.”

“I don’t know, man. It was nice, but I don’t think casual sex is for me.”

“Why do you say that?”

“You’re gonna think it sounds silly.”

“It’s not silly if it’s how you feel.”

“I couldn’t stop thinking about how I would never get to talk to her again.”

Miller narrows his eyes. “That is silly.”

“I told you!”

“The whole point of a one-night stand is to have the one night and be done with it.”

“Well then maybe I liked her more than a one-night stand. Which kind of sucks, because I didn’t actually get her number.”

Miller pats Bellamy on the shoulder. “It’s gonna be alright, dude. This is New York City. There are literally so many women here. And hey, maybe you really do just need a break from dating.”

Bellamy shrugs. “Maybe. But I do think you were onto something when you said I was doing too much wallowing. I think I might try to get myself back out there. Just with some normal dates, not casual sex.”

“Whatever works for you, dude.” Miller gets up from the couch and deposits his mug in the kitchen sink.

“So you’re just gonna leave me with that?” Bellamy asks.

“I’d like to take a shower, thank you.” He disappears into the bathroom, and a moment later Bellamy hears the water turn on.

Bellamy rests his head on the back of the couch, tracing his thumb along the rim of his coffee mug. He can’t seem to stop thinking about a lot of things, namely Gina and what went down last night. When Gina ended things a couple months ago, it honestly came as a bit of a shock to Bellamy. She was the first person he’d dated that he could actually see some sort of future with. They’d been together for a little over a year, and she’d seen him through a weird period in his life.

Bellamy and his little sister had a falling out after their mother died. Once they had made all the arrangements and the funeral had passed, Octavia made it very clear that she wanted nothing to do with Bellamy ever again. Bellamy and Octavia are both very stubborn, so he knew she’d stay true to her word. It took him a long time to cope with the fact that she wasn’t in his life anymore, but he took full responsibility for what he had done and worked hard to come to terms with what he had caused. So it came as a complete shock to him when she contacted him last year mentioning that she had moved to New York City and wondered if he might want to meet up to talk.

Bellamy had just started dating Gina at the time, and was worried about burdening her with this, especially since he hadn’t even told her he had a younger sister. But she was calm and reacted to the story without any type of judgment or taking a side. She said that wasn’t her place, but she’d support him, whether he decided he wanted to have a relationship with her again or not. She listened while he vented about all the things he did for Octavia as she grew up, all the things he did that he hated himself for, all the things he wished he could go back and do differently.

Gina was his rock through everything. She supported his decision to eventually talk to his sister again, but understood that he wasn’t immediately ready to see her in person. She didn’t pry when he didn’t feel like talking, and even walked with him to the coffee shop where he planned to have his first in-person meeting with Octavia. She did so much for him. And then one day she was gone.

Bellamy thinks that he’s so hung up on Gina because he doesn’t fully believe the reason she gave for leaving. It must have been his fault, probably because he was too quick to lay all that information about Octavia on her. But she seemed so trustworthy and she said multiple times that she loved how he opened up to her so quickly. She loved him. But maybe she didn’t love him as much as he thought she did. She must not have, since she told him that she found out about her soulmate and it wasn’t him.

Soulmates. Bellamy hates them. He resents the fact that he couldn’t be enough for Gina. He tried to be there for her in the same way she always was for him, but she didn’t seem to have as much baggage. That is, until someone from her past came back into her life, and it turned out he was the one she’s supposed to spend forever with. It’s not fair that the universe took the one good thing he had in his life away from him. And all because of stupid fate. Fate robbed him of the first good thing to happen to him in years.

Clarke piqued his interest last night after she mentioned that fate brought them together. Normally Bellamy thinks fate can go fuck off, but he wasn’t lying when he told her he believed in it last night, as much as it probably sounded like a corny line. It was wild that they kept running into each other at every bar they went to. How else could he describe that? He should have listened to his first instinct and gotten her number anyway, even though that wasn’t what people normally did. Then he wouldn’t be sitting here and wallowing over a girl he’s never going to see again.

Bellamy sighs before taking another sip of coffee. Too bad he didn’t get her last name. Clarke might not be a common name, but New York City is way too big for there not to be other Clarkes. And if fate was really on his side, then last night probably would have happened differently anyway. He might as well just redownload a couple dating apps and try his luck at getting a date that way. It works for plenty of people, so why wouldn’t it work for him?

Deep down he knows he won’t have luck on any of those apps. Even though it works for other people, he has a hard time imagining finding the person he’s supposed to spend forever with on a dating app. So even though fate can fuck off, maybe he could use some help. He’s certainly too afraid to do anything on his own.

**_________________________**

Clarke wishes she had pregamed this fundraiser. She’s never been one to turn down free food, so when Niylah asked if she wanted to be her date to the annual fundraiser at the fancy prep school she works at, she immediately agreed. It’s not like Clarke isn’t used to parties like this. She was dragged to them all the time growing up by her mother, and once she figured out as a teenager that they were more fun when you’re wasted, she took advantage of the store of alcohol in her house that her parents barely touched. Unfortunately, Niylah quickly turned down the offer to pregame an event at her place of employment. Probably for the best, but Clarke should have at least had a drink on her own.

“So where’s the bar?” Clarke asks almost within seconds of stepping foot inside Arkadia Prep’s building.

Niylah chuckles, linking her arm with Clarke’s as they make their way through the crowd. “Don’t worry, it’s our first stop. And it’s right by the food.”

“Now that’s what I like to hear,” Clarke nods. “Remind me again what this event is for?”

“It’s just a big fundraiser we have every year. Mostly parents and big donors, so you get why I couldn’t pregame it.”

“Yeah, I guess that makes sense. But just so you know, we’ll never have as much fun as I had at the 2014 Polis General Hospital Gala if we’re not at least tipsy.”

Niylah smiles and shakes her head, used to Clarke’s antics at this point. They met at an art class Clarke decided to take to make new friends right after she moved to New York. They did briefly hook up, but they ended things on good terms when Niylah met someone. Clarke loves having another artist friend to hang out with, and Niylah is always one of the first people she sends her column drafts to every week. It’s nice to have someone that’s not a person Clarke knows from college, especially one who’s lived in the city a bit longer. She’s really not sure where she’d be without Niylah.

They walk into the hall where the event is being held. Clarke hasn’t been in a room packed with this many wealthy people since the last hospital gala her mother dragged her to, and that was definitely a purposeful choice. She doesn’t feel out of place though, and she figures that’s part of the reason why Niylah specifically invited her, figuring she would have the correct outfits on hand for this sort of thing. Clarke didn’t have to dig in her closet for that long to find her trusty blue dress that displays just the right amount of cleavage. She paired it with simple gold jewelry, a pair of black heels, and she pulled her hair back in a loose bun. Or as much as it can be pulled back since it’s so short right now.

Niylah steers them to the bar, which has pre-poured glasses of champagne set out. She takes two and hands one to Clarke, which she takes with a smile on her face. They keep walking towards the table with food. Clarke’s a little disappointed, but not surprised that it’s a lot of finger food, even if they are heavy hors d'oeuvres.

“As someone who has been to many a rich person event, I wish more of them would have something a bit heavier to eat,” she muses. This doesn’t stop her from piling her small plate with everything it can fit.

“You seem to make do,” Niylah says.

“It’s taken years of practice. But yeah, I’d say I’ve gotten it down to a science.”

Once they have their food, they make their way to a high top round table so they can set down their plates and drinks.

“Thanks again for inviting me to this,” Clarke says in between bites of spanakopita. “This might be the best thing I’ve ever eaten.”

“I knew you’d like the food. I should’ve brought you last year.”

“So do you have to do any weird mingling with your students’ parents?”

“Not too much at this. This fundraiser is for the whole school, so most parents aren’t hard pressed to talk to the middle school art teacher.”

Clarke nods and finishes chewing before picking up her champagne glass to take another sip. She scans the room as she drinks her champagne, even though the only person she knows here is Niylah. Which is why she almost spits out her drink when she does recognize someone in the room. But it can’t be. Is that Bellamy?

He’s a bit far away, but surprisingly enough, Clarke would recognize that head of curls anywhere. He’s by himself, wearing a navy suit, much simpler than some of the outfits the other men around him are wearing. She’s not sure if it’s bad luck or good luck that the guy she slept with a week ago is in the same room as her again.

“Hey, Niylah, do you know that guy over there? Standing by the auction?”

Niylah turns her attention to where Clarke is pointing. “I’m guessing he works here? But if he does, it’s probably in the upper school. I’ve never seen him before. Why?”

“Um, because I definitely think I hooked up with him last week,” Clarke declares.

“Huh. What are the chances?”

“He looks so out of place. Should I go talk to him?”

“I’m fine on my own, so don’t let me stop you.”

Clarke downs the rest of her champagne before making her way over. She stops on the way to grab another glass and continues over to where Bellamy is standing at the silent auction. He doesn’t notice her approach. She doesn’t announce herself right away, taking a moment to study him. He has a look of concentration on his face as he flips through what looks like a very fancy edition of some old book. She knows the type, seeing as her stepdad has a whole collection that he’s won from auctions similar to this one.

“You could always bid on it, you know,” she finally says.

Bellamy chuckles. “Well I don’t really have $500 to drop on a book I already own—” He stops short once he turns his head to see who just addressed him. A look of disbelief crosses over his face before he breaks into a smile.

Clarke grins, tilting her head to the side. “Hey, stranger.”

“Clarke? What are you doing here?” he asks once he finds his voice again.

“My friend’s the middle school art teacher, and she invited me. But I could ask the same thing of you.”

“I work in the upper school teaching history. I’m pretty new, though.”

“I had no idea you were a teacher!”

Bellamy smirks. “Well there wasn’t much time to hear each other’s life stories last week.”

Clarke lets out a laugh, her face heating up as he gives her the same cheeky grin he gave before going down on her the week before. “This is true.”

“I didn’t think I’d see you again.”

“Yeah, this is definitely pretty random. And in New York City, what are the odds?”

“Maybe I really should start believing in fate more often,” Bellamy responds. Clarke’s surprised by how earnest he seems in his answer.

“Yeah, maybe,” she smiles back.

“So, do I get to know what you do? Since you’re at my place of work, it’s only fair.”

“I’m a freelance writer. I mostly cover visual art. And I have a podcast with one of my best friends from college.”

“Oh, that’s pretty cool! What’s it called? Maybe I’ve listened.”

“I don’t know if you have, since it’s mostly just us complaining about being artists. But it’s called Wine and 1099s.”

“I get the 1099s thing, but why the wine?”

“We used to get drunk when we first started doing it.”

Bellamy chuckles. “Well you’re right, I have not heard of it. But maybe I’ll start listening.”

“You don’t have to do that.”

He shrugs. “I want to. I get the feeling it’s the only way I’m gonna learn more about you.”

Clarke ducks her head, trying to hide the grin forming on her face. She’s not sure why this guy she’s only met a couple times seems to be affecting her so much. She’s not usually like this, and it’s unnerving.

“Well if you want a special insider sneak peek, we’re getting ready to announce our first live show in a couple weeks.”

“Oh wow. I feel honored to be the first to know. Can’t wait to get a ticket.”

“Thanks. We’re both really excited about it.”

Bellamy just smiles in response, holding Clarke’s gaze. There he goes with that earnest look again. Clarke’s stomach flips and maybe this is all a bit too intense. She breaks eye contact to sip her champagne. She hopes Niylah hasn’t gone too far.

“It was really wild running into you here, but I should probably get back to my friend. Don’t want to leave her alone for too long,” Clarke says.

A brief look of surprise flicks across his face, but it’s immediately replaced with a smile. “Yeah, I should probably do a better job of mingling than I have been. It was nice to see you, though.”

“You too.”

Clarke gives Bellamy one last smile and heads back to where she left Niylah. She makes a pit stop for more spanakopita on the way, then plops her new plate down at the table where Niylah is scrolling through Instagram on her phone. She looks up, confused.

“I didn’t expect you back so soon,” Niylah admits.

“I didn’t want to leave you here by yourself,” Clarke lies.

“I told you I’m fine on my own. Did you at least get his number?”

She shakes her head and stuffs her mouth with a spanakopita. She doesn’t really want to answer Niylah’s countless questions at the moment.

Niylah raises an eyebrow, but thankfully lets it go. “Do you want to bid on anything in the auction? I know all it took to sell you on this event was the food, but I figured there might be an item or two you’d be interested in.”

Clarke cranes her neck back to the auction, not wanting to answer until she’s sure that Bellamy isn’t standing over there anymore. He’s not there, and she lets out a breath she didn’t realize she was holding.

“Is there any jewelry?”

Niylah smiles and motions for Clarke to follow as she leads the way to the jewelry display. Clarke still isn’t sure what came over her while she was standing with Bellamy. Why didn’t she think to get his number? This was basically the universe telling her that she should see the guy again, and she blew it because she decided to get in her head about it. What are the chances that she’ll see him again? Knowing her luck, probably slim.

**______________________**

Bellamy stares after Clarke once she’s gone, still a bit thrown by their interaction. He really wasn’t expecting to see her at Arkadia Prep of all places, though it was definitely a pleasant surprise. It just wasn’t so pleasant when she abruptly ended the conversation to get back to her friend. And he didn’t even get the chance to ask for her number. If only he had worked up the courage a moment sooner, things would’ve gone differently.

Bellamy sighs, takes one last look at the beautiful, wildly overpriced copy of _The Odyssey_ , and makes his way to the bar. He could use something other than champagne. He’s definitely not used to events like this, as someone who didn’t grow up wealthy and as someone who’s new to working at private schools. He feels wildly out of place, and honestly he was hoping Clarke would be his buffer for a little while longer. She seemed very in her element, and it somehow only made her more attractive.

“Whiskey neat,” he says once he gets the bartender’s attention. He pulls out his wallet and pulls out a couple ones to tip him as he waits for his drink.

Bellamy moves to an open high top table after he has his drink. It’s not like he really knows anybody here. He only started working at Arkadia Prep after winter break, replacing the old history teacher who went on maternity leave and never came back. Sure, it’s the middle of April now, but he’s still as confused as ever about the way this place works. So he’s even more confused when someone he’s never met before sidles up to his table and strikes up a conversation with him.

“You’re new around here, aren’t you?”

“Damn, is it really that obvious?” he chuckles as he looks up from his drink.

He’s met with a woman who looks to be about his age. Her long, brown hair is styled in curled waves, and she’s wearing a simple black dress that fits her perfectly. She has a very severe face, but she’s still pretty. She’s the type of person that Bellamy would never expect to actually talk to him, especially in this setting.

“Just a little bit,” she laughs. “I come to this every year, and I think I would have noticed you if you’d been before.”

Bellamy blushes.

“You also look a little too young to be a parent here.”

“You would be correct. I’m the new upper school history teacher. I’d say you also look a little too young to be a parent here.”

“I went here, and I’m on the young alumni committee for this fundraiser.” She extends her hand. “Echo Coldwell.”

“Bellamy Blake,” he says, shaking her outstretched hand.

“So I take it you’ve never been to something like this?” she asks before sipping on her glass of wine.

“Yeah, I can’t say I’ve spent much of my time with this many rich people. It’s actually something I normally avoid.”

“So why come work here?”

He shrugs. “I saw an opportunity, and I took it. I’m working on getting out of my comfort zone. It pays well.”

Much to Bellamy’s surprise, Echo laughs at his half-joke. He’s only a little skeptical as to why this woman is flirting with him, especially when there are so many other people in the room that she could flirt with that are probably much more like her. Even so, that doesn’t mean he’s not enjoying the attention. And she _is_ pretty.

“So, Bellamy Blake,” she continues. “What got you so interested in teaching upper school history?”

“My mom, honestly. I grew up hearing Roman and Greek mythology stories from her. She told them to me and my sister constantly. I guess the interest kind of started from there.”

“I love that.”

“You don’t have to act like you love that. I know most people find that explanation really silly.”

She leans forward as she enters Bellamy’s space, a coy smile on her face. “Well maybe I’m not most people.”

Bellamy smiles, leaning in a bit himself. “I’m glad.”

“I unfortunately have to go make a speech, but would you be interested in getting a drink sometime next week?” Echo asks.

“I’d like that.”

“Excellent.” She pulls a pen from her purse and writes her phone number down on a cocktail napkin. She slides the napkin across the table to Bellamy. “Here’s my number. Can’t wait to hear from you.”

Bellamy stares a little bit in awe as Echo heads to the crowd of people gathering around the stage. He assumes they must be the rest of the young alumni committee. Nobody’s ever been this forward with their interest in him. Well, maybe except Clarke.

Clarke. Bellamy had almost immediately forgotten about her once Echo arrived. But why does he care if he remembers her? It’s not as though he owes her anything. And sure, it might have been nice to talk to her again and actually get a drink with her, but if the end of their recent interaction is anything to go off of, she’s clearly not that interested. Even if she definitely was flirting back.

Bellamy looks at the cocktail napkin on the table, then up at Echo across the room. She meets his gaze and smiles. He smiles back and turns back to the cocktail napkin as he takes his phone out of his pocket. He inputs her number and sends a text.

_How’s Tuesday for that drink?_

He looks back to her as she checks her phone, the smile on her face growing bigger. She texts back almost immediately.

_Tuesday sounds perfect._

_Great. Sanctum 7pm. See you there._

They exchange one last look before Bellamy puts his phone away and downs the rest of his whiskey. He decides to focus his energy on Echo since she’s interested, working his hardest to put Clarke out of his mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading! This might be my favorite thing I've ever written, so I really hope you like it. Comments fuel me, and I'd love to know what you think so far. I plan to post a chapter every couple days, since it's all written (yes this is the first and only time that'll ever happen with me lol). 
> 
> If you're at all interested, I'm writing for [t100 Fic for BLM](https://t100fic-for-blm.tumblr.com/). I mainly write Bellarke and Memori, but I'd be open to Murven in an AU setting, if anyone wants to donate and submit a prompt to me! You can always ask me questions directly about things I'd be willing to write by coming to find me on [Tumblr](https://queenemori.tumblr.com/)!


	2. 'Cause You Said It Meant Nothing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I'm back with chapter 2! Thank you so much for the warm reception to the first chapter, I'm so glad you guys are liking it so far and I'm especially excited to share this one, since things are about to get interesting. 
> 
> Chapter title is from [sex (catching feelings)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LaSn9UYn34g) by EDEN.

Clarke didn’t think she had too much to drink at the fundraiser, but seeing as she wakes up with a splitting headache, she definitely drank more than she thought. She smells coffee brewing, which means that either one or both of her roommates are awake, and the fact that she won’t have to make her own coffee is the only thing that gets her out of bed.

She pulls back her covers and makes her way into the kitchen. She sees Raven at their dining table with her own cup of coffee and a plate of eggs. Raven raises her mug when she sees Clarke. Clarke grunts in response, getting a mug from the cabinet and then pouring coffee from the pot. She sits down across from Raven and takes a long sip.

“I can’t believe you got drunk at Niylah’s work event,” Raven says, shaking her head.

“I didn’t mean to,” Clarke sighs. “The night just got weird.”

“In what way?”

“I saw someone I hooked up with recently.”

“The guy from last week?”

Clarke nods.

“So what’s the problem? He was hot.”

“Yeah, but I think I kind of ruined it. It’s fine, though. I don’t need to have sex with him again. And I didn’t get his number, anyway.”

“Classic Clarke behavior,” Raven mumbles.

Clarke frowns. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It’s just that you keep shooting down every chance that comes your way to be happy. Like you don’t deserve it or something.”

“Raven, all I did was have sex with the guy. I’m pretty sure he’s not the key to my happiness or whatever the fuck.”

“All I’m saying is don’t run from something if it makes you happy.”

“That’s good advice, Raven. But it doesn’t apply here.”

Raven rolls her eyes and thankfully turns her attention back to her eggs. Clarke sips on her coffee. It’s nice to know that her roommate cares, but this is something she’d rather not discuss, especially when she’s hungover.

Clarke and Raven have been roommates since their freshman year of college. When Raven accepted a fellowship at a tech company in New York and Clarke and Murphy had already made plans to move there, it seemed like the logical next step for them to keep living together after graduation. She and Raven found a three bedroom apartment in Washington Heights that they rented with another stranger for their first year, but she moved in with her boyfriend when their lease ran out.

Clarke wasn’t expecting to get any serious responses to the Facebook post she made that she and Raven were looking for someone to fill their third bedroom, but the message she got from Octavia Blake piqued her interest. Octavia was the year below them in college, and they had only really been acquaintances. Clarke’s friend Jasper had been into her when they were juniors, and Octavia went out with him a few times, but nothing came out of the dates they went on, so they lost touch after that. Octavia’s Facebook message ended up being the only inquiry they’d received, so it worked out for the best. She was the perfect fit as their third roommate, and soon it felt like she’d been a part of their larger group since the beginning.

Clarke and Raven both look up as the key turns in the lock and Octavia pushes her way through the front door. She looks up at them as she shuts the door behind her, her eyes wide as if she’s been caught.

“I didn’t think you guys would be up yet,” she admits.

“Looks like someone had a late night,” Raven jokes as Octavia sheds her jacket and drops her bag on the floor.

Octavia rolls her eyes, but is unable to hide the smile forming on her face. “Shut up.”

“So I take it the date with Lincoln went well?” Clarke asks.

“It was perfect,” Octavia continues as she takes a seat at the table. “We stayed up most of the night talking.”

“Oh, that’s all you were doing?” Raven smirks.

“I can go into more detail about the other stuff if you want me to.”

Clarke shakes her head. “No, no. This is fine.”

“He’s just so easy to talk to. I feel like with most people this soon I’d still have my guard up, but I feel like I can be open with him. It’s kind of weird. But it’s nice.” By the time she’s done talking, the grin on her face has gotten even wider, if that’s at all possible.

“Well we can’t wait to meet him.”

Octavia nods. “There is something I told Lincoln about last night that I realized I’ve never actually mentioned to you guys.”

“What do you mean?” Raven asks.

“And at this point, it’s kind of amazing that I’ve let it go this long without ever saying anything. But then again, I’ve never been super sure about how to bring something like this up.”

Clarke and Raven exchange a concerned look. Octavia isn’t one to ramble, so this is obviously a big deal. What could she possibly be keeping from them?

“I, um… I’ve been spending a lot more time with my brother lately.”

Silence engulfs the room. Did they hear her correctly? Brother? Since when does Octavia have a brother?

Raven frowns. “Um, your brother?”

“Yeah. I’ve never told you guys about him because when we first met I wasn’t speaking to him. It’s a long story that I don’t super want to get into now, but we had a falling out after our mom died. I reached out to him last year when I moved here, since I knew he was in New York. He didn’t respond at first, but he did eventually. We kind of just talked over the phone for a while, but we’ve been hanging out in person a lot more recently, so it felt like time that you guys should know.”

Clarke is floored by this news. Octavia is a constant barrel of surprises, but this is on a whole other level. Sure, she’s briefly mentioned how things have been hard for her since her mom died, but that happened before she knew them, so she didn’t talk about it much. It’s been clear for as long as they’ve known each other that she doesn’t want to talk about it, and maybe this secret brother was the biggest reason why.

“So let me get this straight,” Raven says. “You told some guy you met a month ago about your brother, but not us?”

“Raven!” Clarke shoots her a look.

“Sorry! Just trying to figure out the logic behind this.”

“Well, that’s the thing, I don’t really know what the logic behind it was!” Octavia explains. “I still can’t believe I said all that to him. I think that’s why I’m so confused, and also a little guilty. And maybe scared.”

Clarke sets her hand on Octavia’s. “Hey, it’s okay. You weren’t ready to tell us, and we get that.”

“Yeah, but you guys are my best friends. If I can’t tell _you_ that I have a brother, how the hell was I able to tell Lincoln after only seeing him for a month?”

“You know, it’s probably a good thing that you felt like you could tell him. It means he makes you feel comfortable. Imagine how comfortable you’ll be with him months down the line if you felt like you could share this so early!”

Octavia blushes. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.”

“I’m just saying.” Clarke shrugs.

“Clarke’s right,” Raven decides. “You told Lincoln on your own terms, and you told us on your own terms. We can’t be mad at that.”

“You mean you’re not upset that I kept this from you?”

“It’s a pretty wild thing to keep from your best friends, but you had your reasons.”

Octavia smiles. “You guys are the best.”

“Duh,” Raven says. “That’s why you live with us.”

“So what else did you and Lincoln talk about?” Clarke asks.

As Octavia launches into an in depth recap of all the things she and Lincoln discussed on their date, Clarke gets up and pours a cup of coffee for her. Octavia takes it from her hand without missing a beat of her story. The more excited about something Octavia is, the more animated she gets, and Clarke hasn’t seen her this way in a while.

Lincoln must be really special. Clarke is happy for her friend, but a part of her wishes that she could find something as effortless as what Octavia is starting to build with Lincoln, or what Murphy has with Emori. She likes to pretend that she doesn’t need something like that, but the pit forming in her stomach seems to suggest otherwise. She’s not going to be able to keep fooling herself for much longer.

**____________________________**

Bellamy didn’t expect to hit it off with Echo as quickly as he did, but they’ve been seeing each other for two weeks and he’s loved every minute of it. They haven’t had any sort of ‘defining the relationship’ talk, but Bellamy feels like that’s where they’re headed. Echo is 28, a year younger than he is, and clearly looking to settle down soon. He’s still trying to wrap his head around the fact that someone so elegant and poised is into him, but he’s working hard to not question it. They’ve got a good thing going so far, and it would be a shame to ruin it just because he doesn’t quite believe that she’s into him. She’s definitely into him. Bellamy is just too in his head.

It’s Saturday morning, and Bellamy realizes how much he missed rolling over and finding someone in the bed next to him. Echo’s eyes are on him as soon as he turns over, so she must have already been awake. He can’t help but smile, still half asleep.

“Good morning,” Bellamy mumbles.

She smiles back. “Hey.”

Bellamy leans in for a quick kiss. Gina never liked morning breath, so he tries to save her from it. Echo has other plans. She deepens their kiss and shifts so that she’s straddling him.

He breaks away from her lips. “What about breakfast?”

Echo laughs. “I think breakfast can wait.” She leans back in and covers his mouth with hers.

Once they’re finally ready to eat, Bellamy goes to make coffee while Echo goes to the bathroom. He expects nothing but an empty kitchen to greet him, but Miller and his boyfriend are already there. Miller is leaning against the counter reading the newspaper and sipping coffee, while Jackson is at the stove making eggs. They both look up when Bellamy walks in.

His face goes red.

“Good morning,” Miller smirks. “Can’t say we appreciated the unexpected wake up call.”

“Hi,” Bellamy answers. “I, um… I sent you a text last night. But I figured you weren’t here when you didn’t answer.”

“We were here all last night,” Jackson says. “But we went to sleep early.”

“Oh.” Bellamy isn’t sure what else to say, so he grabs a mug and pours himself some coffee to avoid speaking any further.

Echo breaks the silence when she comes in from the bathroom.

“It smells great in here, Bellamy. What are you fixing?” Her eyes widen when she sees Miller and Jackson. “Oh. Um, good morning.”

Bellamy moves to Echo’s side so he can introduce her. “Um, Echo. This is my roommate, Miller and his boyfriend Jackson. Guys, this is my—um, this is Echo.”

Miller gives a polite smile and a wave. “Hi, Echo.”

Echo nods. “It’s nice to meet you.”

Silence fills the room, and it seems like nobody knows what to say next.

Jackson breaks the silence after a minute by gesturing to his pan. “Um, do you want some eggs, Echo?”

The group of four eats breakfast in relative silence around the kitchen table. Bellamy knocks his knee with Echo’s every so often to check in on her. She smiles at the contact and pats his leg or whispers something in his ear. Jackson and Miller do their best not to stare, but they don’t do a great job. He hopes Echo doesn’t notice.

Eventually Echo has to leave, so Bellamy gets up while she gathers her things.

“I guess I’ll see you guys around,” she says to Miller and Jackson as Bellamy walks her to the door.

“Yeah,” Miller says, though Bellamy can tell he doesn’t believe it.

Echo turns to face Bellamy once they’re at the door, a smile on her face. “Thanks for breakfast.”

“I mean, all I did was pour your coffee.”

“Still.” She puts a hand on his cheek and leans in for a kiss. “We’ll talk later?”

“Definitely,” Bellamy grins.

“Perfect.” With that she opens the door and is on her way. Bellamy closes it behind her and goes back to sit at the kitchen table. He raises his coffee to his lips and then realizes that Miller and Jackson are still staring at him.

“What’s up?” he asks.

“Since when are you seeing someone?” Miller asks.

“It’s only been a couple weeks.”

“Where did you even meet her? And why is her name Echo?” Jackson wonders aloud.

“Well I can’t speak to her name, since I didn’t name her, but I met her at that school fundraiser I had to go to. She’s on the young alumni committee.”

Jackson nods. “Oh, I see. Echo does sound like an Upper East Side name.”

“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?” Bellamy asks. He doesn’t get an answer.

Miller shakes his head. “I’m so confused. What about that other girl you slept with?”

“Who, Clarke? That’s not gonna happen. Funnily enough, I saw her again the same night I met Echo. But I don’t think she’s interested.”

“You were just so mopey about her that I figured you wouldn’t want to see anyone for a while.”

Bellamy shrugs. “I don’t know what to tell you. I like Echo.”

“So is she your girlfriend?” Jackson asks.

“We haven’t talked about it yet, but I’d like her to be.”

“Yeah, don’t think we didn’t notice your little slip up when you were introducing her,” Miller grins.

Bellamy runs a hand through his hair, trying to distract from the smile forming on his face. “I think I might ask her if she wants to make it official when we get lunch tomorrow.”

“Why not later today?”

“I already have plans. I’m going over to Octavia’s to meet her friends tonight.”

“You are?”

“Yeah. They call it family dinner. Octavia and her roommates host it twice a month.”

“It’s nice that things are going that well for you guys,” Jackson says as he gets up to clear the table.

“I think so too,” Bellamy nods. “We’ve been kind of easing back into knowing each other again, and this is a good next step.”

“And who knows, maybe you’ll get to bring Echo to the next one,” Miller says.

“I think I should probably get through this one on my own first.”

“It’ll go well. Octavia’s friends are gonna love you.”

“Thanks, man. I hope you’re right.”

Miller smirks. “I’m always right.”

Jackson hits Miller with the dish towel he’s holding. “Don’t act smug! It’s not a cute look for you.”

“Don’t lie, Jacks. You think all my looks are cute.”

“And I’m out,” Bellamy says as he makes his way back to his room. He’s seen this conversation play out before, and he doesn’t need to be in the room for something that’s just going to devolve into kisses.

Bellamy picks up his phone from his nightstand and lies back on his bed. He has a new text from Echo.

_Good luck at your sister’s! Can’t wait to hear about it._

He smiles, warmth flooding his chest as he types a response.

_Thanks :) Can’t wait for lunch tomorrow._

Bellamy sets his phone aside and doesn’t bother trying to hide the toothy grin that’s forming on his face. Nobody’s there to make fun of him for it, so there’s no point anyway. A few weeks ago, he wouldn’t have pictured himself getting into a relationship anytime soon, but he’s excited to start something new with Echo. Fate might be working in his favor after all.

**________________________**

Clarke can feel nervous energy radiating off Octavia as they put together the salad for dinner. She’s regretting her choice to delegate chopping vegetables, as it seems like Octavia isn’t actually paying attention to where the knife is. Clarke carefully takes the knife from Octavia’s hand and sets it down on the counter.

“I know how to chop a carrot!” she protests.

Clarke purses her lips. “You know how to chop a carrot so well you don’t need to look?”

“Okay, so I was a little distracted. But I’m nervous! I don’t want this to be weird.”

“Octavia, it’s gonna be a little weird. We’re literally meeting the brother you never told us you had.”

She chuckles at this, finally loosening up. “I guess. I just want you guys to like him.”

“And I’m sure we will. He’s related to you, so he has to be at least somewhat cool.”

“He’s actually kind of a giant nerd.”

“And that’s okay, too.” Clarke puts a reassuring hand on Octavia’s shoulder. “I would say this dinner is gonna go off without a hitch, but we’re friends with Murphy and Jasper, so I don’t see that being true. But it won’t be an outright disaster either.”

Octavia nods. “You’re right. It’s gonna be fine.”

Clarke smiles as their front door buzzes. “That’s probably Murphy.” She goes to let him in.

“I come bearing food!” Murphy shouts as he enters the apartment, laden down with bags. Emori follows close behind, only carrying a single bag.

“He didn’t let you carry anything else?” Clarke asks her.

Emori shrugs. “It’s just easier to let him show off at this point. And if he drops something, I’ll get a laugh out of it.”

“If I drop something, you won’t get dinner!” Murphy says as he sets everything down on the counter.

“Love you, John!” She puts her own bag down and leans in to kiss his cheek.

It warms Clarke’s heart to watch Murphy interact with his soulmate. There’s no questioning the devotion Murphy and Emori have for each other, and even if there was some sort of divine intervention that brought them together, that doesn’t make what they have any less real. Clarke thinks it must be comforting to have found something like that. None of her romances have ever felt like a sure thing, and she’s starting to wonder if she’s the problem. She pushes that thought out of her mind as she helps Murphy unpack his grocery bags.

Once everything’s unpacked, Murphy sheds his jacket before going to wash his hands. He’s been in charge of the main course for family dinner ever since Clarke’s attempt last year almost set their apartment on fire. There’s a plus side to the arrangement, though. Once Murphy arrives, it means Clarke can pour a glass of wine and sit down until dinner is ready.

The rest of the group shows up as Murphy prepares stuffed shells. Monty and Harper bring dessert, and Jasper shows up with a bottle of tequila. Raven rolls her eyes when she opens the door for him, but takes the bottle anyway. She and Jasper are usually the only ones that end up drinking the hard liquor he always brings.

By the time Murphy puts the shells in the oven to bake and pours himself a glass of wine, the only person they’re waiting for is Octavia’s brother. They’re crowded around the living room, seeing as the apartment isn’t that big, though it is the biggest of their friend group’s. Clarke is sitting next to Emori on the couch, and they’ve left room for Murphy so that he can plop down when he’s finished cooking.

“Octavia, your brother should be here soon, right?” Harper asks.

Octavia nods. “Yeah. He texted me and said he just got off the subway, so he should be here any minute.”

The rest of their friends learned about Octavia’s older brother in a group text. There was obviously a great deal of confusion, but everyone finally calmed down once Octavia announced that they would all get to meet him at family dinner.

“I’m excited!” Jasper says from his place in the armchair he always claims when he’s over. “I know so many only children that there’s hardly anyone who has a sibling I can meet.”

“Well, now’s your moment! He’s outside.”

Their buzzer goes off and Octavia hops up to let her brother in. She turns back around before pressing the button.

“Everyone, I beg of you. Do not make this too weird for me.”

“You know I’ve stopped making promises that Murphy and Jasper can’t keep,” Raven responds.

“Please, guys. I don’t want him to think my friends are crazy.”

“We’ll be good,” Murphy promises. It sounds like he actually means it.

“Yeah, I’ll try and tone it down,” Jasper agrees.

Clarke is shocked that’s all it took, but Octavia seems pleased with that answer and buzzes her brother in. She opens the door and walks outside, presumably to alert him to where they are. Excitement buzzes throughout the room as they hear footsteps approach.

“Hi, big brother!” Octavia calls as he makes it up to their landing.

“Hey, O. How’s it going?” The voice is oddly familiar.

He stops in the doorway to hug Octavia, a bottle of wine in one hand. Clarke can’t see his face yet, but her stomach flips as she realizes it’s _Bellamy_.

Octavia leads him inside and closes the door behind them.

“Guys, this is my brother Bellamy. Bellamy, this is Jasper, Monty, Harper, Emori, Murphy, and my roommates, Clarke and Raven.”

Clarke wills herself not to turn beet red. This can’t be happening. Of all the people on the planet, she really had to hook up with Octavia’s brother?

Bellamy scans the room with a smile, until his eyes land on Clarke. The smile briefly falters, but he rights it before moving past her to smile at Raven.

“It’s nice to meet you all,” Bellamy says, staring down at his bottle of wine.

Clarke’s heart is beating so fast it feels like it might pop out of her chest. Murphy shakes next to her, working very hard to stifle his laughter. She frowns and elbows him in the ribs as discreetly as she can. Thankfully he does shut up. Clarke hazards a glance to Raven, who is intently staring at the ground.

“Nice to meet you, too,” Monty answers. “I would say we’ve heard so much about you, but that doesn’t really apply in this situation.”

Bellamy lets out a quiet chuckle at that joke. He locks eyes with Clarke again before turning to Octavia to hand her the bottle of wine he brought.

“Thanks. Do you want a glass of this?”

“I’ll take whatever’s already open.”

“I’ll get it,” Raven shouts as she shoots up from her chair. She grabs the bottle from Octavia’s hand. “Clarke, do you want to come with me?”

Clarke frowns, but does as she’s told.

“And I should check on the food. It’s probably almost done,” Murphy announces, following them over to the kitchen. Octavia looks after them, confusion forming on her face, but she doesn’t say anything about it. Instead, she helps to start conversation with Bellamy and the rest of their friends.

Raven gets a wine glass from the cabinet and pours a glass for Bellamy while Murphy goes into the oven and pulls out the dish of stuffed shells. Clarke steals a glance over her shoulder at Bellamy before turning back to her friends in the kitchen.

“So this is an unexpected turn of events,” Raven mumbles.

“You’re telling me!” Clarke whispers back. “How was I supposed to know that the guy I hooked up with was Octavia’s brother? I didn’t even know she had a brother until three weeks ago!”

“He didn’t tell you his last name?” Murphy asks.

“No. What would I have needed it for?”

Murphy shrugs as he adds more cheese to his garlic bread before putting it into the oven.

“So what are you gonna do?” Raven asks.

“I don’t know that I need to do anything. It was a one-off thing, so it doesn’t make sense to tell Octavia and get her worked up over nothing.”

“How do you know she’d be worked up about it?” Murphy wonders.

“Have you met Octavia? She’s a grade-A drama queen! There’s no reason to worry her over something that’s not gonna happen again.”

“You don’t know that,” Raven points out.

“I do. In case you haven’t noticed, he can’t even meet my eyes. Now can we please stop this weird huddle I didn’t ask to be a part of? We look like a bunch of crazy people.” Clarke makes her way back to her spot on the couch without waiting for a response.

It takes another minute before Raven comes back over with Bellamy’s wine. He takes it gladly and immediately downs half. It’s not much longer before Murphy declares that dinner is ready and they all make their way to the kitchen to help themselves.

Seeing as Octavia, Clarke, and Raven live in a small New York apartment, they don’t have a table big enough to accomodate all their friends, so they move their kitchen table into the living room for four lucky guests, while the rest of them either sit on the floor and use the coffee table or eat in their laps. Octavia lets Bellamy sit at the table, since it’s his first time over for dinner, and the other three spots are filled by Octavia, Harper, and Raven. Clarke opts to stay by her spot on the couch, and leans her back against it as she eats off the coffee table. She wants to keep as much distance between herself and Bellamy as possible.

The conversation is normal enough. Everyone is curious to learn more about Bellamy, seeing as they’re still trying to get a sense for who he is. Clarke spends most of the time staring at her food, but when she’s not looking down at her plate, she looks back and forth between Bellamy and Octavia, looking for similarities in their appearances. Now that she knows they’re siblings she can see it, but they don’t look that much alike.

“So Bellamy, you’re a teacher, right?” Harper asks. “What school do you work at?”

“Arkadia Prep. I teach mostly ninth grade ancient history,” Bellamy answers.

“Oh, that’s cool!” Jasper says. “Clarke, doesn’t Niylah work at Arkadia?”

Clarke nods before picking up her wine glass. “She works in the middle school.”

“Huh that’s so crazy. You were at that fundraiser with her a couple weeks ago. You two could’ve run into each other,” Octavia remembers.

Bellamy stares intently at the food on his plate. “Yeah. That’s pretty wild.”

Clarke downs the rest of her wine and gets up from the floor for a refill. Once she’s in the kitchen she lets out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. She goes into the fridge for the open bottle and is startled when she closes it to find Bellamy standing behind her.

“Oh!”

“Sorry!” he says with a soft smile. “Didn’t mean to scare you.”

“No, it’s okay. I’m not usually this jumpy,” Clarke admits.

“So I take it this is a little weird for you, too?”

“I think weird might be an understatement.”

Bellamy chuckles and runs a hand through his hair. Must be his nervous tick.

“You know, this doesn’t have to be weird,” Clarke says slowly. “We hooked up once, and that’s pretty much it. And only Raven and Murphy know, and they won’t say anything.”

Bellamy nods, relief flooding over his face. “Okay. So you agree, you don’t think we have to tell Octavia?”

“I don’t see what’s to be gained from it.”

“Agreed.” He turns to where the pasta is situated on top of the stove and helps himself to another shell.

“Well, thanks for easing my nerves.” Bellamy turns to go back into the living room. “It’s nice to meet you as my sister’s roommate.”

Clarke smiles. “It’s nice to meet you as my roommate’s brother.”

He smiles back and heads back to his seat. Clarke takes another breath. That definitely could have gone worse. Things don’t have to be weird between her and Bellamy if he’s going to continue to be in Octavia’s life. And Octavia doesn’t need to know.

Clarke brings her wine glass back to her spot at the coffee table and sits down. She looks up to find Octavia staring at her. She chooses to ignore it for now, knowing that if something is bothering Octavia, she’ll bring it up later.

The rest of dinner runs relatively smoothly. Jasper only makes one joke that Bellamy doesn’t know how to take, so Clarke would call the evening a success. It doesn’t seem like they’ve scared Bellamy away, and Octavia thanks them all profusely once he leaves.

Once everyone is gone and the kitchen is basically clean, Octavia corners Clarke, blocking the doorway leading to their rooms. Raven has already gone back to her room, and Clarke wants to do the same after a surprisingly exhausting evening.

“What’s up?” Clarke wonders.

Octavia gets straight to the point. “Have you met my brother before?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Clarke, don’t bullshit me. When you guys were in the kitchen together it seemed like you already knew each other.”

Clarke sighs, knowing Octavia won’t let up until she gets an answer. “Okay, I need you to promise not to overreact.”

“Overreact about what?”

“Um, I hooked up with your brother.”

Octavia frowns. “As in you had sex with him?”

“It was just the one time, and it’s not gonna happen again.” The last thing Clarke wants is to upset Octavia when she seems to be in such a good place.

She doesn’t answer, but instead lets out a snort and starts laughing.

Now it’s Clarke’s turn to frown. “What? What’s so funny?”

“The fact that you had sex with my brother. He’s like basically 30!”

“Aren’t you dating a 30-year-old?”

“Yeah, but Lincoln’s not my brother.”

“I didn’t know you had a brother when Bellamy and I hooked up. And you guys really don’t even look that much alike!”

Octavia shrugs. “Different dads. Wait, is he the guy you hooked up with when you and Raven went out a few weeks ago?”

Clarke nods.

“Ew, I high-fived you for sleeping with my brother!” Octavia laughs.

“Octavia, I swear, I wouldn’t have hooked up with him had I known.”

“Relax, Clarke. It’s not that big a deal.”

“You mean you’re not mad?”

“No. And you can hook up with him again if you want, I don’t care.”

“It’s okay. I don’t know if I want to, anyway.”

“You do you. I’m just saying, don’t let me stop you if that’s what you were worried about.” Octavia turns and heads into her bedroom.

Clarke finally retreats to her own room and dives face first onto her bed. Family dinner has never taken such a weird turn, but she’s glad that after talking with Bellamy things won’t end up too awkward. Octavia really wants him in her life again, so they’ll definitely be seeing more of each other. Clarke’s not positive friendship with Bellamy is exactly what she wants, but it’s probably all she’s going to get.

Clarke isn’t sure she meant it when she told Octavia she didn’t want to hook up with Bellamy again, but it seems like that ship has sailed. Sure, she had been the first one to declare that they didn’t need to make a big deal out of what happened, but Bellamy looked so relieved when she said it. Had she not beaten him to it, he probably would have said the same thing first. She blew her opportunity for anything more than friendship at the fundraiser. And now she has to live with that, whether she likes it or not.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys enjoyed it! I've loved hearing what you guys think so far, so definitely leave a comment and let me know your thoughts.
> 
> And you can always come shout with me on [Tumblr](https://queenemori.tumblr.com/)!


	3. We're Running in Circles

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Back with another chapter! I say this about all the chapters, but I love this particular one for the Murphy moments in particular, since he was my favorite character in this fic to write. Also I said this to someone in the comments of chapter 2, but writing Echo as an Upper East Side WASP is something I thought I would never do, but I've actually really enjoyed writing her in this setting. Just a random fun fact for everyone.
> 
> Chapter title is from Circles by Post Malone, another early inspiration as I was thinking of the fic, but instead of linking you to the actual song, I'm linking you to Niall Horan's [cover](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lE_LS7mHBJo) because I'm predictable at this point.

Bellamy paces outside the art gallery. He doesn’t want to go in without Echo. Being her boyfriend means he’ll have to get used to accompanying her to all the fancy parties she attends, though he wasn’t prepared to be thrown to the wolves so soon. He hopes meeting some of Echo’s friends will ease his nerves with talking to rich people. He needs all the practice he can get before parent-teacher conferences roll around. Thankfully this exhibition opening isn’t fancy enough to call for a suit, so he feels fairly comfortable in his gray sweater and jeans. He just wishes people would stop staring at him as they go inside the building. Echo can’t get here soon enough.

He halts his pacing when he spots Echo down the street. She’s a fan of all black ensembles, and tonight is no different—she went for a pair of black jeans and a simple black top. She strides with a purpose toward him, her boots clicking against the sidewalk and her high ponytail swinging behind her.

She smiles as she nears him and greets him with a quick kiss. “I hope you weren’t waiting long.”

“Only a few minutes.”

“Oh that’s not too bad. I would have been quicker, but I decided last minute to switch which bag I was bringing.”

Bellamy smiles as he takes her hand and laces their fingers together. “It’s all good. I may not know fashion, but I do know you look great.”

Echo laughs. “You are quite the charmer.”

She leads the way into the building. It’s much bigger on the inside than it looks from outside. They walk up a spiral staircase to the second floor and through a set of glass double doors to where the exhibition is being held.

“I’ve never been to an art opening before,” Bellamy says.

“I go to a lot of them, and they’re usually not all that exciting. But my friend Roan did all these pieces. He does really great avant garde photography.”

Bellamy nods, taking in the first piece that greets them at the entrance. The landscape is covered in a flurry of snowflakes. He’s not sure _what_ he’s looking at, and judging by the other photographs he can see in the room Roan loves that effect.

“Does he take all his photos in the middle of blizzards?”

Echo chuckles and pats Bellamy’s cheek. He had hoped for a real answer, but it must have been a stupid question.

“You know what else is great about art openings?” A smile spreads across Echo’s face. “Alcohol.”

“Now that sounds like something I can get behind. Vodka soda with lime, right?”

“Please.”

Bellamy kisses her cheek and goes in search of the bar. He doesn’t stick out too much at this event, so he’s glad that it’s the first one Echo invited him to. He wants to be part of her social life, but he has to ease his way in. When she starts taking him to real fancy parties, he’ll have to invest in a couple new suits. This crowd doesn’t seem like the type to outfit repeat.

He spots the bar and makes his way over, thinking of intelligent things to say about the art in case Echo wants to introduce him to Roan later on. He orders a vodka soda for Echo and a gin and tonic for himself. He leans against the bar as he waits for his drinks, then takes them from the bartender with a polite nod.

A drink in each hand, Bellamy starts back to where he left Echo, but a familiar head of wavy blonde hair catches his eye.

Clarke is a few feet away, holding up her drink as she takes a selfie. She frowns at the result and raises her arm to take another. Bellamy chuckles to himself as he makes his way over to where she’s standing. He sneaks up behind her to photobomb her picture. He sticks out his tongue as she snaps the photo, though she still hasn’t noticed him. She turns around, a look of confusion on her face. Once she’s facing him she looks up and laughs.

“Hi!” she says.

“We just can’t seem to stop running into each other, can we?” Bellamy asks.

“Yeah, it’s starting to get a little scary.”

“So do you come to take selfies at art openings often?”

“I do, actually. I’m covering Roan’s exhibition for my column, but right now I’m trying to get some good content for my Instagram story. Harper told me I’ve been slacking lately.”

“So you’re like an influencer?”

Clarke shrugs. “Kind of. Not really for the general public, but more so in the art community. It’s kind of weird to talk about, I just enjoy curating content. And people seem to find my Instagram aesthetically pleasing.”

“That’s pretty cool. Octavia maintains if I had an Instagram it wouldn’t be worth the follow.”

Clarke tilts her head. “Oh, I don’t know about that. You’re good looking, have you ever heard of a thirst follow?”

Bellamy blushes. He’s never been sure how to take it when people call him attractive.

“You know you can always go back and get another drink, right?” Clarke motions to the drinks in his hands, a flirtatious smile flitting across her face.

Bellamy chuckles. “Oh, these aren’t both for me.”

“You’re here with someone?”

Echo sidles up to them before he gets a chance to answer.

“I was wondering where you’d run off to.” She takes the vodka soda from his hand and sips at it before giving Clarke an appraising look. “Who’s your friend?”

“Um, Echo, this is Clarke, one of my sister’s roommates. Clarke, this is Echo. My girlfriend.” Bellamy’s never called Echo his girlfriend before. It doesn’t roll off the tongue as easily as he’d hoped.

Clarke looks briefly surprised to hear Bellamy call Echo his girlfriend, but she quickly masks the shock with a smile.

“It’s nice to meet you,” Clarke says, extending her hand.

Echo shakes Clarke’s hand. “Oh, that’s so funny! I absolutely love your Instagram.”

“Thank you. To be fair, my publicist helps me, so I can’t take full credit for it.”

“Still. Your posts brighten up my feed. And your podcast is just so charming.”

Clarke smiles. “That’s really nice.”

Bellamy is completely lost listening to Echo and Clarke’s conversation about art and Clarke’s podcast. It feels odd to see the two of them interacting with each other. He knew they’d meet eventually if his relationship with Echo got more serious and he brought her to family dinner, but something about them meeting in this setting makes Bellamy uneasy.

He chalks it up to the fact that he hooked up with Clarke right before he and Echo got together. It shouldn’t be a big deal—he hadn’t even met Echo when he and Clarke slept together—but somehow it still feels like an omission. He should probably tell her. Even though he and Clarke agreed to bury the whole thing, it would help to ease his nerves.

The conversation trails out and Echo turns to Bellamy. “There are a few people I want to introduce you to.”

He nods. “Okay.”

Echo turns back to Clarke. “It was lovely meeting you.”

“You as well,” Clarke says.

Echo moves to lead Bellamy to another part of the gallery, but he stops her.

“I’ll catch up in a second,” he says.

She furrows her brow, but keeps walking. Once she’s gone, Bellamy turns back to Clarke.

“Um, sorry about that. I hope it wasn’t too weird.” He runs a hand through his hair.

Clarke waves him off. “Why are you sorry? You don’t owe me anything. And we said it wasn’t going to be weird, remember?”

“Right.” It sure _felt_ weird, though.

“And she seems great. How did you guys meet?”

Bellamy lets out a nervous chuckle and stares at the ground. “Um, we met at the Arkadia fundraiser.”

“Oh. Small world.”

“Yeah.”

There’s a brief moment of silence between them. Bellamy looks up and meets Clarke’s eyes for the first time since Echo walked away. He wishes he could tell what she’s thinking, but the neutral look on her face doesn’t give anything away. She’s clearly good at masking her emotions.

Clarke eventually breaks the silence. “You know, we don’t always just have to run into each other.”

He frowns. “What do you mean?”

“We can make an active effort to hang out.”

“Oh.”

“Only if you want,” she adds quickly.

“No, I want to! That would be nice.”

She grins and Bellamy pretends not to notice the way his stomach flips as she does.

“I’ll text you,” Clarke says.

“You don’t have my number.”

“But I can get it from Octavia.”

Bellamy nods. “Right. Well, I should catch up with Echo. I think she wants me to meet this Roan guy.”

Clarke chuckles. “Well have fun with that. He’s a pretty interesting dude.”

“I kinda figured.” Judging by the way his photography looked, Bellamy could tell he was in store for quite the character.

Clarke gives one last smile before walking off to look at more of the exhibit. Bellamy sighs and follows after Echo. He laces their fingers together once he reaches her.

She turns to him and smiles. “What took you so long?”

“Sorry. But I’m here now.”

She starts to lead him over to a burly man who’s surrounded by a few people. Bellamy figures this must be Roan. He doesn’t strike Bellamy as the type of guy who’d want to be a photographer for a living, but then again, plenty of people have told Bellamy he doesn’t look like a history teacher.

Bellamy is lost in thought as Echo leads him towards Roan. Once again he’s had another somewhat confusing interaction with Clarke. He’s glad that she and Echo seemed to get along, especially now that he and Clarke might end up being friends. But he can’t help let his mind wander to the fact that before Echo had arrived she seemed rather flirty. Why would she be so flirty when they said they weren’t going to make a big deal out of their night together? And why had he been so into it? Was he reading too much into this?

“Is something on your mind?” Echo asks, pulling him back to reality.

“How can you tell?”

“You just seem pretty tense.”

He sighs and comes to a stop in a less populated area of the gallery. Echo frowns, but stops with him.

“I feel like I’ve been keeping something from you. I’m just gonna tell you about it.”

“You’re scaring me, Bellamy.”

“It’s nothing horrific! I guess it kind of depends on how you look at it...”

“Bellamy.”

“Right, sorry. Um. So the week before I met you at the fundraiser? Clarke and I kind of hooked up.”

Echo’s eyebrows shoot up. “You hooked up with your little sister’s roommate?”

“I didn’t know who she was when it happened. Like I said, things with Octavia are just getting back to normal, and I only found out who Clarke was to her when I went to family dinner.”

“So do you have feelings for her?”

“What? No! I like you. It was just a one-time thing,” Bellamy reassures her.

“Okay. Thank you for telling me. But I don’t think you needed to feel bad for keeping that from me. We didn’t even know each other back then.”

“Really?”

“Yeah,” Echo shrugs. “It happened, and it doesn’t seem like it was a big deal. We don’t have to dwell on every detail of our sex lives before each other.”

Relief floods over Bellamy as he leans in to kiss Echo. Now that he’s said it, it does feel silly that he worked himself up over nothing.

Echo smiles. “Now can we go meet Roan? I think you two would like each other.”

Bellamy smiles back. “Lead the way.”

Echo chuckles and rubs Bellamy’s arm as they walk the rest of the way over to Roan.

**__________________**

“The moral of the story is you shouldn’t trust just anyone who tries to sell you weed on the A train,” Murphy declares.

Clarke frowns, not completely sure why Murphy would trust _anyone_ to sell him weed on the A train. Monroe signaled for them to wrap up a few minutes ago, so she moves past it.

“Okay then,” Clarke says into her microphone. “That about wraps up this week’s episode. But, before we go, we have a very special announcement.”

“We’ve been sitting on this news for about a month, and it was definitely getting hard to keep secret. But we’ll be doing our very first live show in June!”

“That’s right! We’re taking Wine and 1099s on the road, or at least to a different borough. Murphy and I will be at The Bell House in Brooklyn on June 15th.”

“If you’re wondering what sort of stuff we’re gonna do, just assume it’s more of what we normally do on the podcast, but maybe with a few extra surprises.”

“And I may or may not have convinced my mom to come do ‘Shit My Mom Says to Me’ live and in person.”

Murphy gasps. “She agreed to it?”

Clarke laughs at Murphy, glad that withholding that information garnered a good reaction. “She did!”

“You heard it here first, folks. We, along with Abby Griffin herself, will be in the flesh on June 15th. So if you’ll be in Brooklyn or you just want to take a fun trip, come join us!”

“More information is available on our website, and tickets go on sale next week. We’re so excited we finally get to have the opportunity to do this live for you guys and meet some of you in person.”

“Yeah, I don’t say I’m excited about much, but I am actually stoked about this,” Murphy agrees.

“And I’m almost positive Murphy will get sentimental and cry, and you don’t want to miss that,” Clarke jokes.

“Eh, we’ll see.”

“So, thanks to everyone for listening. Don’t forget to rate, review, and subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts.”

“And we’ll see you next week, if we haven’t starved by then.”

The recording light goes out and Monroe signals that they’re all clear.

“Thanks, guys!” she says through her microphone.

“Thank you, Monroe!” Clarke calls back. She gathers the few things she brought into the booth with her and gets up to leave, when she notices Murphy staring at her.

“What is it, Murphy?”

“Nothing.” He smirks. “It’s just that this is the first time I’ve gotten you alone since you found out that you hooked up with Octavia’s older brother.”

Clarke rolls her eyes and pushes her way out of the booth. “Can we just drop this?”

Murphy follows her out of the room. “Clarke. You’ve known me for too long to think I’m going to just drop it.”

“Well you should be able to. Raven dropped it. Even Octavia didn’t have much to say. She said I could hook up with him again if I wanted to.”

“Are you going to?”

“No! And I don’t have to explain myself to you.”

“Of course not. You were just so relaxed after you hooked up, maybe you should do it again.”

“I can find other ways to relax.” Clarke wants so badly to be done with this conversation.

Murphy shrugs. “I’m just saying. Yeah, maybe it’s a little weird that he’s your friend’s brother, but he was nice! Even seems like your type. I don’t get what the big deal is, it’s not like there’s a lack of chemistry—”

“He has a girlfriend, Murphy!” Clarke finally shouts.

That shuts him up. “What?”

“He has a girlfriend. I ran into them a couple days ago at the exhibition opening I was covering.”

“Oh.”

Clarke chuckles. “It’s not very often that you’re at a loss for words.”

“I’m just confused. He didn’t mention a girlfriend when we met him.”

“They just recently became official.” She sits on the couch, a weird heaviness overcoming her.

Murphy sits down next to her. “I don’t really know what to say.”

“You don’t have to say anything. When it all comes down to it, it’s not that deep.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes!” Can’t he just _drop_ it?

“Clarke, I know you said you didn’t want it to be a big deal, but it’s okay if you’re upset.”

“I just feel silly,” she admits. “I mean, I was flirting with him when we ran into each other and then a minute later some girl sidles up to him and he introduces her as his girlfriend.”

“What’s she like?”

“She seems nice. Pretty, too. She listens to our podcast.”

Murphy chuckles. “That’s random.”

“She’s into art; it makes sense. But again, I’m not going to dwell on this. I wasn’t looking for anything when I hooked up with Bellamy, and I’m fine to just be his friend.”

“So you guys are gonna be friends?”

“Yeah. We’ve texted back and forth a little bit. I mean, we keep running into each other. We might as well do it on purpose.”

“Huh.” Murphy nods thoughtfully.

“What?”

“Nothing. You’ll think it’s stupid.”

“Well, it’s obviously something,” Clarke says as she nudges at his shoulder.

He still looks hesitant, but he relents with a sigh. “It’s just that when I first met Emori we ran into each other a lot. Always unplanned, but it happened a bunch.”

Clarke rolls her eyes. “Bellamy’s not my soulmate.”

Murphy throws up his hands in surrender. “I’m just saying. That’s how it happened for me.”

“Well I’m not you! I don’t have a soulmate, and that’s okay. I don’t need fate to tell me I’m bad at relationships when I’ve already figured it out for myself.”

The room fills with silence as Clarke crosses her arms and slouches back onto the couch. She wills herself not to cry, but it’s too much to hold in.

Murphy wraps his arm around Clarke’s shoulder so she can lean into his side. “Listen. I know you think you’re unlovable or something because you’ve been dealt a shitty hand in terms of partners. But that’s on them, not you. All of our friends could write multiple thinkpieces on all the ways your exes have sucked, Finn and Cillian in particular.”

Clarke lets out a cross between a sob and a laugh, but lets Murphy continue.

“And even with Niylah, I know you were happy that she found someone, but it’s okay to admit if you were maybe a little hurt that things had to end between you guys, even if they weren’t that serious. But that doesn’t mean you’re not worth loving, and I really hope you know that.”

“When did you get to be so wise?” she asks, moving her head so she can look up at him.

“I don’t know.” He shrugs. “Maybe love softened me.”

“Maybe.”

“I think fate might be ready to throw you a bone soon. You’ve definitely had enough bad luck. Take it from someone who had a string of his own before finding Emori.”

“What would I do without you, Murphy?” Clarke smiles.

“Probably just go about your life aimlessly. And there’d be a little void that you couldn’t fill for some reason, and you’d always wonder what was missing.”

She scoffs and sits up, finally feeling like she can get on with the rest of her day.She and Murphy are stuck with each other, at least until they get tired of doing the podcast. But Clarke is glad that he’s the one she gets to be stuck with. Way back in middle school, she never would’ve imagined _John Murphy_ would one day become the person she goes to with all her problems—let alone her best friend. They’ve come so far, and he’s one of the people that knows her best. She’s glad to have him.

The logical part of Clarke’s brain knows that Murphy is right about her bad luck with relationships. But this time, it’s definitely her own fault. She shouldn’t have run away from Bellamy at the fundraiser. Maybe if they had kept talking, he never would have met Echo in the first place. She shouldn’t dwell on that fact. It’ll only make her feel bad. She missed her chance, and that’s that. All that she can do now is try and make the most of her new friendship with Bellamy.

Later in the day, Clarke sits on her living room couch, putting the finishing touches on her article about Roan’s exhibition when her phone lights up with a text. It’s Bellamy. She ignores the way her stomach flips when she sees it.

_How’s your day going?_

A simple text like this shouldn’t have this much of an effect on Clarke. They’ve texted back and forth a few times since she ran into him at the gallery, but none of their conversations were lengthy. And with an opener as vague as ‘how’s your day going’, there’s potential for this one to amount to something. Bellamy seems like a good texter, so she sends her reply quickly.

_Pretty standard Saturday!_

_Recorded with Murphy, now I’m about to send something to my editor._

_How about you?_

_I graded some papers this morning._

_And Miller and I are having a movie night since he says we never see each other anymore._

_Awww, roommate movie nights are so fun! Raven, Octavia, and I do them all the time._

_Have you guys both just been busy?_

_Yeah._

_And he’s been at Jackson’s apartment, and I’ve been at Echo’s._

_So we both haven’t been home._

Clarke has to take a moment to pause at the mention of Echo—she had slipped Clarke’s mind. But of course, if she’s gonna be friends with Bellamy, he’s obviously gonna bring up his girlfriend. Why wouldn’t he? Clarke does find it a little odd that he’s apparently spent so much time at Echo’s this week. How long have they been dating? It can’t be more than a couple weeks. Then again, Clarke hasn’t seen Raven in a while, and she’s not even dating that Wick guy. She takes a moment to make her reply sound casual.

_Mmm, fair._

_Well I hope you guys have a nice time!_

She doesn’t want the conversation to end, but she’s not sure what else to say.

_Thanks._

_Do you maybe want to get coffee this week?_

Clarke wasn’t expecting that, but she quickly types her response.

_Sure, that would be nice!_

_Did you have a place in mind?_

_There’s a place called Grounders a few blocks up from Arkadia Prep._

_Oh yeah, I know that. It’s near where me and Murphy record._

_Cool. I have a break where I can get away on Wednesdays at 11._

_Wanna meet then?_

_Works for me._

_Awesome. See you Wednesday. :)_

Clarke laughs at Bellamy’s use of an actual emoticon and not an emoji. She hasn’t seen anyone do that in a while. She’s glad she has something to look forward to on Wednesday, other than deciding what to send in for her next column pitch. And the stuff at Grounders is artsy enough that she can probably get some good pics for Instagram, which will make Harper happy. She hopes that coffee with Bellamy will help her sort out her emotions so she can focus on being his friend. She’s excited that he’s going to become a part of her life, in any way at all.

**____________________**

By the time Wednesday rolls around, Bellamy is weirdly nervous for his meet-up with Clarke. He’s happy they’re going to try to be friends, since if he’s going to hang out with Octavia more, Clarke’s part of the package. In theory it should be easy to hold a conversation with her. But all their past conversations were more than a little flirty, so this time things will definitely be different. What should they talk about? Was this a bad idea? Maybe Bellamy should have thought this through before asking if she wanted to hang out.

He orders his coffee and a muffin and finds a two-person table by a window. Grounders is one of his favorite coffee places, and not just because it’s close to work. He discovered it when he’d shown up an hour early for his interview at Arkadia. The smell of espresso and the chill atmosphere calmed his nerves. Now it’s his go-to place if he doesn’t have enough time to make coffee before he leaves in the morning. He even brings papers to grade on the weekends if he needs a change of scenery.

Bellamy spots Clarke out the window and gives her a small smile and a wave. She waves back and makes her way into the shop and to the table.

“Hi,” she says as she deposits her bag on the chair.

“Hi.”

She pulls her wallet out of her bag and goes to the counter to order her drink. Bellamy scrolls aimlessly on his phone until she returns with a latte and piece of coffee cake.

“Sorry in advance for this.” Clarke sits down and takes out her phone. “Harper really wants me to post more content.”

“No, I get it. It’s part of your brand,” Bellamy chuckles.

Clarke snorts. “I kind of hate that I have a brand, but it helps pay the bills.”

He waits as she snaps a few pictures of her latte. Bellamy doesn’t know much about this stuff, but he’d say the coffee art at Grounders is pretty Instagram worthy.

“Okay. My work here is done.” She stores her phone back in her pocket and takes a sip of her drink.

Bellamy nods as he breaks off a piece of his muffin. He was worried that he’d have nothing to say, and it seems like his worry was somewhat warranted. He’s not sure how to start the conversation. They’d had sex, once. There has to be a better way to start a conversation than to ask her how she’s doing.

“So what’s your work schedule like today?” Clarke asks.

Bellamy’s glad that Clarke found something to say first. Now they don’t have to sit in awkward silence.

“I only have a couple classes to teach today. This morning was my senior elective, so that’s a nice way to start the day,” he answers.

“Oh, what’s that class?”

“It’s a class on mythology. All different types. Since I started in the middle of the year, I don’t have much of a choice in terms of how it’s taught this year. I’m just working with the syllabus of the person who taught it before me, but I’m lucky it’s something I’m interested in and I’ll make tweaks before next school year.”

Clarke nods. “That’s good. And what’s the other class?”

“One of my ninth grade ancient history sections after lunch. And I proctor a study hall closer to the end of the day. So it’s pretty light.”

“That’s nice. I’m sure it’s good to have a light day in the middle of the week.”

“Yeah, it’s a nice break.”

They sip on their coffee and lapse into silence. Clarke scans the room, though Bellamy’s not sure what for. Maybe she’s taking in the atmosphere. He just wishes the quiet didn’t feel so weird. It’s not as though this is their first time alone. Why does this time feel so different?

Bellamy clears his throat. “So what does a day in the life of an art influencer look like?”

A slight grimace crosses Clarke’s face as she tucks a loose strand of hair behind her ear. Maybe he shouldn’t mention her being an influencer so much.

“Oh, it’s really not all that interesting,” she says. “I kind of fell into it. I’m more interested in the writing part of my job.”

“So what’s that like? Freelance is so different from anything I’ve ever done.”

“Well at the beginning it was mostly just me pitching things to different publications. Lots of rejection emails.” She chuckles. “I even made up a segment ages back where I would read out the most ridiculous parts of rejection letters I received.”

Bellamy laughs. “That sounds amusing.”

“Yeah, it kind of helped me move past it. Careers like this, you hear no a lot more than you hear yes, and it can kind of wear on you. But making light of it helped a lot. And writing is one of those things where you’re always improving, so I just kept sending my ideas until finally somewhere wanted to pay me to write them.”

“You said you have a column now, right?”

“Yeah. It’s a weekly thing, and the most consistent gig I’ve ever had. I do other stuff of course, it’s not like the column pays _all_ my bills. But it’s nice to have another steady thing along with the podcast. And lately I’ve been approached to do a couple pieces as well.”

“That’s awesome,” Bellamy says. “I commend you, honestly. I don’t think I could do without my nine to five.”

Clarke shrugs. “Yeah, well. A lot of people call me crazy. But I love to write about art, and I get to do that, so I’d say I’m in a good place.”

Bellamy smiles, glad that he’s gotten Clarke to open up a little. She seems so excited to talk about the things she’s interested in, and it’s nice to learn more about her.

“Do you make any of your own art?” he asks.

“A little. I mostly do paintings, and some photography.”

“Will I ever get to see any of it?”

“It’s on my Instagram.”

“I don’t have Instagram, remember?”

“You could always get Echo to show you.” Clarke sips more of her drink.

Bellamy frowns. “Why would I get Echo to show me when you’re sitting right here?”

Clarke lets out a nervous chuckle. “Sorry, that came out weird. Yeah, yeah, I can show you.”

She pulls out her phone again and Bellamy tries his best to put that odd moment out of his mind. What on earth was that supposed to mean?

Clarke pulls up a photo and hands her phone to him. “I like to play around with light, so I did a fun shoot with Emori. She’s Murphy’s girlfriend.”

He nods as he looks at the photo. He remembers Emori from family dinner. The picture is just her in a dark room. The only thing lighting the photo is a ghostlight, creating a shadow effect. Emori is posed with one arm lifted in the air, while the other is wrapped diagonally across her waist, exposing her skin so Bellamy can see the beginnings of a knife tattoo on her ribcage.

“This is really cool,” Bellamy says, handing Clarke’s phone back to her.

Clarke blushes. “Thanks.”

“Emori’s knife tattoo seems very on brand with what I know about her.”

“It’s actually her soulmark.”

Bellamy’s eyes widen. “She and Murphy are soulmates?”

“Yup. Lucky them, I guess.”

Bellamy’s heart sinks. Good for Murphy, honestly. It’s not his fault soulmates ruined Bellamy’s last relationship—he shouldn’t hold it against them. Murphy’s a little abrasive, but he seems nice enough. Emori seems quieter, but she has a sort of ‘don’t mess with me’ vibe about her. It’s nice they were able to find someone who complements them like that.

“Bellamy?” Clarke asks.

He’s broken out of his trance. How long had he been zoned out?

“Sorry.” He looks down at his watch. “Hey, I wish I could stay longer, but I really should be getting back to school. I have a few things I need to look over before my next class.”

“Oh, yeah, totally. I have some errands to run while I’m out.”

They both stand and gather their things. They put their empty cups by the dish dump and head out onto the sidewalk.

Bellamy turns to Clarke, now even more unsure of himself. She smiles and ducks her head again, so at least Bellamy can rest easy knowing that this might be as weird for her as it is for him.

“Um, I had a nice time,” he finally says.

Clarke nods. “Me too.”

He takes a step closer, not sure if he should go in for the hug. She steps in as well and wraps her arms around him. It’s not long, and it’s a bit stiff. Bellamy swallows down a nervous chuckle as they pull apart.

“So I guess I’ll see you around,” Clarke says.

“Yeah. I’ll text you.”

She gives him one last smile and a wave before heading back up the sidewalk. Bellamy stares after her for a moment before turning in the opposite direction and walking back to school.

He wasn’t expecting it to be so awkward to sit in a room with Clarke alone. It’s frustrating. He wants things to be easy with Clarke. It’s not like Bellamy has very many friends, but he can’t recall a time where things were this odd at the start of a friendship before.

Now that he’s alone again, he can’t help but get in his head about soulmates. It shouldn’t bother him so much that Murphy and Emori are soulmates, but it does. He needs to get used to hearing about this sort of thing without it setting him off. They’re rare, but people have them. He has to get over it.

Bellamy’s mostly upset because he wants it to be that easy for him. If he had a soulmate, he wouldn’t have to deal with dumb first dates, awkward flirty banter, or getting ghosted ever again. He could rest easy knowing there’s someone out there for him. But most people meet their soulmate long before they’re his age. It’s not in the cards for him.

Once he’s back at his desk, he works hard to get soulmates and his awkward coffee with Clarke off his mind. He has a class to teach. And he’s taking Echo to dinner, so he should probably put a bit more thought into where they’re going. Honestly, he should be putting more thought into Echo in general.

Echo has been the biggest surprise of Bellamy’s year. They’ve only been together a month, but he’s had a great time with her. She’s a lot of fun, and she helps him to get out of his shell. She’s different from all the other people he’s dated in the past, and the change of pace is exactly what he needs right about now. He definitely wants their relationship to grow into something more. He might not have a soulmate, but he’s got Echo. It’s enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys enjoyed! I'm really loving hearing what you guys think, so don't be afraid to leave a comment. I've got two more chapters in the works that I plan to post on Wednesday and Saturday, so we'll be wrapping up soon!
> 
> Don't forget, I'm also accepting Bellarke for BLM prompts, if you like what you see here and want to donate and ask me to write something. I'd love to get some more!
> 
> If you want to shout with me about the show (particularly Murphy since that's what I shout about lately) you can also come find me on [Tumblr](https://queenemori.tumblr.com/)!


	4. Think I Like You Best When You're With Me (And No One Else)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again! We're getting close to the end here, and I'm so enjoying hearing what you guys think! Keep your thoughts coming!
> 
> Chapter title is from [K.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L4sbDxR22z4) by Cigarettes After Sex.

Clarke can’t believe how quickly spring has gone by. The closer they get to summer, the closer they get to Wine and 1099s’ first live show. She gets more nervous with each passing day, and the anticipation is killing her. She and Murphy have been doing a lot of planning to make sure the whole thing goes off without a hitch, and Harper has been giving them information to share about the event on their social media platforms. So as much as Clarke resents all the popularity her Instagram has garnered her, it’s definitely useful. Tickets are selling well, and that only adds pressure.

When Clarke’s not busy with the podcast or writing her column and other pieces, she’s been hanging out with Bellamy. They meet for coffee at Grounders every Wednesday during Bellamy’s break. It’s become one of Clarke’s favorite parts of the week. At first she was afraid they wouldn’t have much to talk about, and that maybe their connection had only been enough for just a hookup. Some people aren’t destined to be friends. But Clarke is starting to spend more time with Bellamy than she does with Octavia. Granted, Octavia hasn’t been home since Lincoln lives alone, but Clarke doesn’t mind, since she still gets face time with one of the Blake siblings.

After getting to know Bellamy a bit better, Clarke can see how he and Octavia are related, even though they don’t really resemble each other. They’re both fiercely stubborn, even if that manifests differently. Octavia is rarely one to change her mind once she’s set on something. Bellamy doesn’t seem to be stubborn in that way, though he’s definitely a creature of habit. Every Wednesday he gets the same thing at Grounders: the house blend and a blueberry muffin. Clarke remarked on it once a couple weeks into their standing arrangement, and he simply shrugged, saying why change things up when he knows what works for him?

Clarke’s favorite thing about Bellamy is how encouraging and supportive he is. By their second Wednesday coffee date, he’d read quite a few entries of her column and come back with questions. She was taken aback by how much he tried to understand her world, but it warms her heart all the same. Not even people she’d dated in the past had tried to do that for her. He doesn’t know much about art, but he seems to want to learn more to understand what she’s talking about. He even mentioned that he listened to a few old episodes of Wine and 1099s to prepare himself for the live show in June. He and Echo have already purchased their tickets.

Clarke still isn’t used to hearing about Echo, and she’s not sure why she bristles so much at the mention of her. She thought she’d been doing a good job of managing her crush on Bellamy, but every time he says that name, she’s less and less convinced.

It’s only made worse by the fact that the next family dinner is fast approaching.

Clarke and her roommates are sitting at the kitchen table on a rare weekend morning where they’re all home. They’re all tired, so there’s not much chatter. The only sounds in the room are the munching of breakfast and the sipping of coffee.

Octavia’s phone buzzes and she picks it up. “Huh.”

Clarke and Raven look up at her.

“What is it?” Clarke asks.

“Bellamy asked if he can bring his girlfriend to family dinner next week.”

Raven raises her eyebrows. “Really? It must be getting serious.”

Clarke scoffs. “How serious could it be? They’ve been together, what a month and a half?”

“He’s older than us, Clarke. Maybe he’s looking to settle down soon.”

Octavia nods. “And he thought he was gonna settle down with his last girlfriend. Bellamy doesn’t do casual.”

_Yeah, he only does casual with me_ , Clarke thinks, pushing around her cereal with her spoon. She tries not to let that thought get to her. She knows that’s not all she’s good for and she can’t dwell on it.

Raven turns to Clarke. “You met her. What’s she like?”

“It wasn’t that much of a meeting, really. She likes art and she has good style.” Clarke sips her coffee, hoping it will end the discussion.

“Well we’ll get a feel for her next week,” Octavia says. “I texted back and said he could bring her.”

They don’t say anything more on the subject, though Clarke can feel Octavia’s eyes on her for the rest of breakfast. So far, Murphy seems to be the only one that’s caught on to Clarke’s crush, and that’s mainly because he knows her too well. But she knows Octavia’s suspicious, even if she doesn’t know exactly what’s up. Clarke has a week to mentally prepare herself for Echo’s introduction to the group. That should be plenty of time to get this under control.

Turns out, it’s not enough, though at this point Clarke’s not sure any amount of time would have been sufficient to prepare her for this. She stiffens from her seat next to Emori on the couch as Octavia opens the door to let Bellamy and Echo in, but does her best to put on a polite smile.

“It’s nice to meet you, Echo,” Octavia says with a genuine smile. “Bellamy’s told me so much about you.”

“All good things, I hope,” Echo says.

“Is there anything bad to tell?”

Echo laughs, though Clarke and the others know Octavia didn’t mean for that to be a joke.

“Let me introduce you to everyone,” Bellamy says, leading Echo further into the room. “This is Raven, Octavia’s other roommate, and that’s Murphy in the kitchen.”

Murphy shouts over his shoulder, not wanting to turn away from his fried chicken. “Hey!”

Echo waves as Bellamy brings her into the living room.

“And this is Jasper, and Emori, and you’ve already met Clarke,” he says.

Echo smiles. “It’s nice to see you again.”

“Yeah, you too,” Clarke says.

“We’re also missing Monty and Harper, but I assume they’re on their way.”

“Do you guys want something to drink?” Clarke asks.

“Do you have any red wine open?”

“Yup.”

“I’ll take some of that. Anything for you, Bell?”

Bell? Clarke’s only ever heard Octavia call Bellamy that. She doesn’t miss Octavia’s frown at the use of her nickname.

“I’ll have the same,” Bellamy answers.

Clarke nods. “Great.” She joins Murphy in the kitchen, taking down two wine glasses and uncorking the bottle of red.

“So that’s Echo,” Murphy mumbles. “I don’t like her.”

“You’ve barely met her,” Clarke retorts.

“I don’t need that long to form an opinion of someone.”

“Murphy.”

“What? She’s getting in the way of your happiness, why should I like her?”

“Because she makes Bellamy happy, and we like Bellamy,” Clarke says.

He grumbles as he finishes frying the last pieces of chicken.

“Come on, if not for him, then do it for me.”

Murphy pouts, but he gives in. “Fine.”

“You can rant about her when we have wine on Wednesday.”

Clarke picks up the wine glasses and brings them over to Echo and Bellamy at the dining table. She takes her spot on the couch and sips her own drink as they wait for Monty and Harper.

By the time Monty and Harper arrive, Murphy is finished cooking, so they sit down for dinner shortly after that. Much of the conversation is spent getting to know Echo. Clarke doesn’t pay much attention to what she says, but she catches the basics. She’s finishing up law school at Columbia and is interning at some fancy law firm, but that’s all Clarke retains.

Clarke finds herself admiring Echo’s outfit, though she would never admit it out loud. She makes her simple (and no doubt very expensive) off-the-shoulder top and jeans look effortless, while simultaneously making Clarke feel underdressed in her own home. She’s glad she put on jeans, since she sometimes wears leggings for family dinner, but she wishes she had on something better than her worn gray t-shirt.

“So you guys do this twice a month?” Echo asks.

Harper nods. “Yup. It’s been tradition since our junior year of college.”

“That’s so cute. My friends and I used to do things like that in college. Now our go-to place is this great little spot in Chelsea called Portale. They have the best brunch.”

“Yeah, if I had a trust fund I’d go there too,” Murphy mumbles under his breath. It earns him an elbow jab on either side from Clarke and Emori.

“The cinnamon rolls are thirteen dollars!” he whispers.

Clarke’s eyes go wide. “And you paid for one?”

“Not with my own money. It was a business meal.”

“Do you always cook for these, Murphy?” Echo asks.

Murphy turns to her, plastering a fake smile on his face. “Yeah. Nobody else wants to do it. And if we let Clarke, we’d all be poisoned.”

Clarke lets out a chuckle. “I am not that inept.”

“It’s okay,” Echo says. “I always think food tastes way better when you're not the one that’s cooked it. That’s why I think all of Bellamy’s cooking tastes so good.”

Clarke’s eyes dart to where Echo pats Bellamy’s leg. She’s been observing Bellamy and Echo’s interactions all throughout dinner, and all she’s learned is that Bellamy really does seem to like Echo. They’ve exchanged a lot of casual touches and smiles. He silently checks in with her every so often by nudging her hand on the table or bumping shoulders with her. He’s very attentive. It makes Clarke want to throw up.

She catches Octavia looking in her direction a few times, but never makes direct eye contact with her. She can’t read the expression on her face, but she knows there will be an in depth conversation while they clean up later.

Everyone besides Murphy seems to be on their best behavior for Echo. Emori and Harper are the best at making sure she’s part of the conversation. Clarke is quiet for the most part, not sure how to contribute. She eventually gets up and starts clearing people’s plates away so they can get ready for dessert.

She puts the dishes in the sink and opens the fridge for the cheesecake Harper and Monty brought. Careful footsteps approach and she turns to find Bellamy making his way into the kitchen. He uncorks the bottle of red wine to give himself a refill.

“Hey,” he says. “Do you need any help?”

“Well I’m not the best at cutting cake, if you’d like to lend your skills that way.”

Bellamy smiles. “At your service.”

She hands Bellamy a knife from the silverware drawer and he cuts the cheesecake. Clarke grabs smaller plates from the cabinet and puts them down on the counter. She leans on the counter while Bellamy cuts the pieces and places one on each plate.

“So. You’ve gotten the chance to talk to Echo a little more,” he says after a while.

She looks up at him. “I mean, we’ve all gotten the chance to talk to her.”

“You know what I mean. It’s different than running into her somewhere.”

“Yeah.”

Bellamy doesn’t say anything else, but continues to cut the cake.

“Is this your way of asking if I like her?” Clarke finally says.

He shrugs, a blush setting in on his cheeks. “Maybe a little.”

“Why are you asking me specifically?”

“Because I value your opinion.”

Clarke sighs and the pit that’s been forming in her stomach since dinner started seems to grow bigger. Bellamy’s her friend. It should be easy for her to say that his girlfriend is great. Why can’t her tongue seem to form that simple sentence?

“Clarke?” Bellamy asks.

“Huh?”

“I think you zoned out on me there.”

“Oh. Um, she seems really nice. I think I get why you like her so much.”

He nods as he finishes cutting the cake. Usually Clarke can read the expression on Bellamy’s face, but she’s not sure what this one is. Was that not the answer he was looking for? And why should he care what she thinks of Echo? He’s gonna date her whether or not Clarke approves. It’s not like she’s the deciding factor.

“I’m sure when I get to know her better I’ll love her,” Clarke adds.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. She makes you happy, and that’s what matters.”

The smile finally returns to Bellamy’s face, and Clarke hopes that hers matches it, because it really feels like a grimace.

“How long does it take to cut a cheesecake?” Jasper shouts from the living room.

Clarke sighs, never more thankful for Jasper’s timing. “Come and get it if you want some!”

With that, her friends descend upon the kitchen to get their dessert, saving Clarke from an uncomfortable moment that she didn’t know how to end. She’s able to avoid talking to just Bellamy for the rest of the evening, and other than a couple questions Echo has about the podcast, she doesn’t have to say much more to her either.

Clarke thinks she’s in the clear now that it’s just her, Raven, and Octavia in the kitchen. They’re doing the dishes, and it’s been silent for the most part, besides Raven’s usual mutterings that she wishes they had a dishwasher. Maybe Octavia won’t interrogate Clarke after all.

“Did you guys get a weird vibe off of Echo?” Octavia eventually asks as she dries a plate.

Clarke looks up from the sink. She and Raven frown at each other, then look to Octavia.

“Weird vibe?” Raven asks.

“Yeah. Like was there something off about her?”

Raven shrugs. “She seemed normal to me.”

“Huh.” Octavia tilts her head. “What did you think of her, Clarke?”

“Why are you asking me?” she asks nonchalantly.

“Because next to me, you know Bellamy the best.”

Clarke begins paying extra attention to the pan she’s washing. “I think they’re well-suited.”

“That wasn’t the question.”

“She’s nice. Not necessarily who I’d picture Bellamy with. But nice.”

Raven smirks. “And who exactly would you picture Bellamy with?”

“Oh come on, I don’t know him _that_ well! We only just started hanging out,” Clarke says.

“But I’m sure you have someone in mind.”

Clarke unplugs the drain and turns to lean against the sink. “Oh yeah? Like who?”

“Um, you?” Octavia says, as if it’s the most obvious thing in the world.

“Don’t be ridiculous.”

“It’s not ridiculous. You guys hooked up already, and you clearly have a massive crush on him.”

“I do not!” She feels herself turning red, in direct defiance of her words.

“Please, Clarke. We’re past the point of you playing dumb.”

“But that’s all it is! A stupid crush. And you said it yourself, Octavia, he’s basically 30.”

“What does age have to do with anything?” Raven asks.

“We’re in different stages in our lives. I’m not looking for anything serious, and he clearly is. And if that’s what Echo wants, then he should be with her.”

Octavia and Raven exchange a look. It almost seems like pity, and Clarke can’t handle that.

“Seriously, can we not talk about this anymore?”

Octavia nods. “Yeah, we can drop it.”

“Good. I’m going to bed.”Clarke lets out a frustrated groan and throws down her dish towel. Her cheeks burn as Raven and Octavia stare at her the whole way out of the kitchen. She can finally breathe again once she’s safely holed away in her room.

Clarke’s not sure what came over her roommates just then. What was the point of that ambush? They might have thought it would just be a fun joke, but nothing to do with Bellamy is a joking matter. And she’s not ready to admit that it’s not a joke to anyone but herself.

She’s not sure what to do to get this crush under control. She doesn’t get them that often, so it’s not like she has much practice at quashing them. Bellamy has quickly become a fixture in her life, and it’s not like she doesn’t want him in it. She’s begun to look forward to the time she spends with him. She’s going to have to compartmentalize. She’s good at that.

**_____________________**

Bellamy doesn’t understand art. Nobody’s asking him to, but he feels like a bad friend when he’s not sure what Clarke’s saying in her column. When he mentions it to her, she immediately insists on an art outing. So that’s how Bellamy finds himself being dragged through the Met as Clarke takes him to her favorite paintings.

“So this is a painting by Chuck Close,” Clarke says as she steers Bellamy toward another painting. This one is a portrait of an austere looking man. It seems to be made with miniscule dots.

He nods and takes a moment to observe it.

“It kind of looks like a photograph,” he says.

“Yeah, the artist started by taking a picture of the subject. Then he drew a grid over the photo and started filling in details with his paints.”

“That’s pretty cool.”

She nods and tilts her head as she stares at the painting. “I love stuff like that. Where you can see all the details and imperfections. People have it in their heads that art is supposed to be perfect, especially paintings. But it can be messy, too.”

Bellamy smiles and turns to watch Clarke watch the painting. He’s been spending a lot of time doing that this afternoon. Watching Clarke, rather than looking at the art. But the way she takes it all in is fascinating. She sees this in such a different way than he does, and that might be his favorite part of all this.

She takes him around to a few more paintings before they decide to go outside and eat lunch. They sit on the steps of the Met with their food.

“It’s just like we’re on Gossip Girl,” Clarke jokes.

Bellamy frowns. “What?”

“Like the TV show?”

“I’ve never seen it.”

Clarke’s eyes go wide as she grabs at Bellamy’s shoulder. He’s not sure why the contact makes his heart skip a beat, but it does.

“You’ve never seen Gossip Girl? Man, we have to remedy that. It’ll blow your mind,” she says.

“In a good way?”

“Not necessarily. I wanted to be Blair Waldorf so badly as a teenager. I even wore headbands for most of high school because of her.”

Bellamy shrugs. “Those sentences mean nothing to me.”

“Oh, don’t worry. They will.”

He chuckles at Clarke’s enthusiasm. He loves how she finds a way to get excited over even the simplest things. It might be his favorite thing about her.

They chew on their sandwiches in silence for a while, letting the nice spring breeze wash over them. These are Bellamy’s favorite days, right at the end of May before it gets too unbearably humid to want to step outside. He turns to look at Clarke. She rifles through her bag of chips as though she’s looking for something other than what she’d expect to find in there. Her face is somewhat obscured by her giant sunglasses, but the frown on her face and the breeze rippling through her hair makes the entire image somewhat comical. He chuckles to himself, though it must be louder than he thought, because she turns to look at him. Her face goes red, but she smiles.

“Thanks for indulging me today,” she says.

“Of course. I had a lot of fun. And it’s nice to see you in your element.”

“Every time we took a trip to New York when I was little, I would beg my mom to bring me here. And the MOMA.”

Bellamy has a vivid picture of a precocious young Clarke walking up to every painting and examining it, much like what she did earlier.

“So you’ve always been into art, then?”

“Pretty much. It’s kind of silly, but I realized I wanted to try it after seeing The Princess Diaries for the first time,” she says, going red again.

“Why that movie?”

“You know the scene where Mia and her mom are working on her mom’s art project? And they’re popping those balloons full of paint?”

Bellamy nods. He’d watched the movie countless times with Octavia growing up.

“Well before I saw that, I always thought all art was kind of rigid, like the family portraits I used to have to pose for. But that was the first time I saw that you could have fun with it. That it didn’t just have to be drawing people or a still life scene. Like I said, it’s silly.”

Bellamy smiles. “That’s not silly. It’s actually pretty cute.”

Clarke smiles and bites her lip. “I mean, it’s kind of a roundabout way to get interested in something.”

“Why does it matter _how_ you got into it? You realized it’s what you wanted to do, and I think that’s what’s important.”

“I guess you’re right. And I’m not necessarily doing what I thought I’d be doing with my art degree, but I do enjoy it.”

“There you go!”

They’re quiet again as they finish their lunches, watching people walk in and out of the museum. They don’t have anywhere to be, so they decide to stroll through Central Park. They talk about nothing, mostly Bellamy rambles about the mythology projects he has to grade and how his ninth graders are taking all his energy out of him. Clarke fills him in on the planning sessions she and Murphy are having over bottles of wine to prepare for their live show, though she doesn’t spill any details.

“It’s a surprise!” she tells him. “Not even Emori knows, and Murphy tells her everything.”

“So you’re just gonna leave me in agony for the next three weeks?”

“Exactly. You’ll find out what’s gonna happen along with everybody else.”

He smiles, playfully bumping his shoulder with hers. She laughs, throwing her head back as she does. Bellamy finds himself staring at her exposed neck, thinking about leaving a mark he didn’t get to last time. He shakes that thought from his mind, not sure why it invaded his brain. What’s wrong with him?

His phone buzzes in his pocket, and when he pulls it out, it’s the alarm he set for himself. He has to get ready to go meet Echo.

When a co-worker had asked Bellamy about his plans for the weekend, he wanted to tell them about how his friend was taking him to the Met to show him some of her favorite pieces of art. It’s what he’d been most excited about, after all. But instead, he’d mentioned that his girlfriend was taking him for drinks so he could meet a few of her friends. That seemed like the more appropriate answer, seeing as he felt guilty for being more excited to spend time with Clarke than his own girlfriend.

“I should get going. I have to get ready before meeting Echo,” he sighs.

Clarke nods. “Oh, yeah. Don’t let me keep you.”

He stops, touching a hand to her arm so she stops as well. “You’re not keeping me. I had a really great time this afternoon.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

She blushes. “Well I’m glad we could do this. I had a lot of fun, too.”

Bellamy runs a hand through his hair. “So I guess I’ll see you on Wednesday, then?”

“Yeah, can’t wait.”

He smiles and waves goodbye before starting off toward the subway. He really did have a fun afternoon. And Echo knows that Bellamy hangs out with Clarke. She might’ve raised an eyebrow when he mentioned it for the first time, but Clarke’s just a friend. That’s all this is, and Echo gets that. She’s best friends with big, burly Roan and Bellamy doesn’t bat an eyelash at that relationship. It’s no different from what he has with Clarke, he tells himself.

Maybe one day he’ll believe it.

**_________________________**

Clarke stares at the takeout menus on the fridge and sighs. She knows she should just cook something, but that takes an amount of effort she doesn’t feel like expending. She can’t decide what to order. Usually Raven ends up deciding, but since she’s over at Wick’s again, and Octavia’s at Lincoln’s, there’s nobody to order with.

She frowns when she hears their door buzz. Did she have plans with someone? Murphy’s filling in for the guitarist in Emori’s band, so she knows it’s not him, and he’s usually the only one who comes over unannounced.

Clarke clicks the buzzer and speaks into the intercom. “Hello?”

“Is that Clarke?” comes Bellamy’s muffled voice.

“Bellamy?”

“I came to drop something off for Octavia. Can I come up?”

“Yeah, sure.” She buzzes him in.

Clarke opens the door to her apartment before he gets to it, and she steps to the side so that he can come in.

“Octavia’s staying at Lincoln’s tonight,” she says as she shuts the door.

“I know,” Bellamy says. “She said you’d be home, though.”

“True. For someone with a public persona, I don’t have much of a social life!”

Bellamy laughs. He holds up a book and sets it down on the kitchen table. “I’ll just text Octavia and tell her I dropped off _Metamorphoses_.”

Clarke nods. She shoves her hands in the pockets of her sweatpants, not sure what to say next. Even though she and Bellamy are friends now, they still have weird moments where it feels like they’re both searching for conversation. She wishes they could get past that.

“Raven’s not here either?” Bellamy finally asks.

“Nope. She’s also out with a guy. No plans with Echo tonight?”

Bellamy shakes his head. “She’s going to a fundraiser that she RSVP’d for before we started dating. Not that I’m upset, I don’t think I could have handled that much wealthy person interaction today.”

Clarke laughs. “Fair. You definitely have to prepare for it.”

“Well, I don’t want to interrupt your plans for the evening.” He runs a hand through his hair and turns to go.

“You’re not interrupting!”

He turns back to her, a confused smile on his face.

“I mean, you don’t have to go. If you don’t want to. I was gonna get some takeout, if you wanted to go in on that. Probably Thai food.”

“I could be tempted with Thai food.”

“Oh! And we could watch Gossip Girl. I wasn’t kidding about making you watch it.”

Bellamy chuckles. “Well maybe it’s kind of perfect that I showed up tonight, huh?”

“Oh absolutely. It was written in the stars,” Clarke answers with a laugh.

“Thai food and Gossip Girl sound great.”

Clarke smiles as she goes to grab the menu off the fridge.

They order their food and watch the first episode while they wait for it to arrive. Clarke is surprised at how quickly Bellamy gets sucked in, although they both pay less attention to subsequent episodes once they have their food.

“I kind of relate to Dan,” Bellamy says before taking a bite of the last spring roll.

Clarke snorts.

Bellamy frowns. “Is that a bad thing?”

“I guess if you’ve only seen season one, then it’s fine. But by the end he kind of seems like a sociopath.”

“Hey! No spoilers.”

“Please, like you’re ever gonna watch this without me.”

“I might,” he says with a shrug. “It’s entertaining.”

“And it only gets crazier. You’re in for a wild ride. Especially if you like Dan.”

“I wouldn’t say I _like_ him. Just that I get where he’s coming from. Though I like to think I’m not that pretentious.”

“Trust me, you’re not.”

Bellamy laughs. “Thanks. I was mostly thinking about the way he looks out for Jenny.”

“Did you used to do that for Octavia?”

“Yeah. I practically raised her. Our mom was sick a lot, and it only got worse while Octavia was growing up.”

Clarke is surprised. “Wow. I didn’t know that. Octavia so rarely talks about her childhood.”

Bellamy grimaces before continuing. “That’s probably my fault, honestly. Mom started getting a lot worse when I was finishing up college, so when I graduated she asked me to move back home to help with O. She was acting out a lot, and my mom didn’t have the strength to handle it. I figured it was just teen angst, but as the years went on, her behavior didn’t improve, and it really wore on my mom. It probably wasn’t my place, but my mom looked to me, so I became the disciplinarian. I thought I was doing it from a place of caring, but Octavia didn’t really see it that way. Sorry, I hate to unload on you, you don’t want to hear about this.”

“No, you don’t have to feel sorry. I’m all ears. Unless you’d rather stop, it’s totally up to you.”

He gives her a small smile. Clarke can tell this is hard for him, but he takes a deep breath before pressing forward.

“I think a part of me was a bit resentful towards my mom because there are a lot of things I never got to do, but I didn’t want to upset her, so I bottled it up. All my college friends were traveling and having crazy adventures while I was working and stuck at home with my kid sister, since my mom couldn’t really work anymore. I took all my anger at my mom out on Octavia, and she didn’t deserve that. We’ve talked about it, and she’s forgiven me, but I still feel terrible about it.”

Bellamy’s voice is tinged with emotion, and Clarke reaches over to place a hand on top of his.

“Take your time,” she says.

“When Octavia got a full ride to Polis, I was so proud. She worked so hard for it, and I knew she’d do well, but a part of me was worried that something would set her off and she’d go back to all those issues she had as a teenager. But when she went away, our mom’s sickness took a turn for the worst. O would always call and check in, but I downplayed it. I wanted her to focus on school. I told her not to come home. And when the worst finally happened, Octavia didn’t make it in time to say goodbye.”

By now tears are falling down Bellamy’s face. Clarke’s heart hurts as she watches Bellamy relive his biggest regret.

“We’ve gotten in a lot of screaming matches over the years, but the one after the funeral was the worst one. It ended with her saying she no longer had to be a burden to me because she never wanted to see me again. And I knew she meant it. She went back to school the next day and I didn’t hear from her until she moved here last year. And I didn’t try to contact her. I knew she was serious, and I felt like I deserved it. I was so hurt that she thought she was a burden to me. I never thought of her like that. I was just trying to do right by her and make my mom happy.”

Clarke doesn’t know what to say. She had no idea that Octavia and Bellamy’s falling out had been so severe, but then again, Octavia had kind of glossed over the subject. In retrospect, after hearing Bellamy talk about this, some of Octavia’s more off-hand comments about her therapy sessions make a little more sense.

More than anything else Clarke is floored that Bellamy trusts her with all of this. They’ve only known each other for a couple months, and this is such a sensitive subject. She goes back and forth on where they stand as friends, but maybe they’re better friends than she realized.

“God, that story makes me sound like such a shitty person,” Bellamy says in the silence.

Clarke shakes her head. “I don’t think that’s fair. You were young. And it’s not my place to judge you for something that I have no frame of reference for. Especially when it seems like both you and Octavia have worked through this and gotten past it.”

“We’ve both had a lot of therapy since then,” he sniffles.

“I can tell you’ve grown a lot. Both of you.”

Bellamy nods. He opens his mouth, then closes it, but eventually decides to speak. “I’ve only told one other person all that before.”

Clarke’s eyes go wide. “Really?”

“Yeah. I’m not that great at opening up to people.”

“Well, thank you for trusting me with that. I know it’s hard to open up, especially about something so difficult.”

“I don’t really know how to explain this,” he begins. “But you make it feel easy, if that makes sense.”

She looks up and locks eyes with him. The earnest look on his face surprises Clarke, but she knows he would never say something like that lightly.

“Yeah, that makes sense,” she answers, not breaking eye contact. Clarke’s not sure why, but she feels compelled to hold his gaze. Her heart is pounding and her face is heating up, but she can’t look away. It’s intense, but she doesn’t want to run away this time.

Eventually Bellamy clears his throat and stares down at his hands.

“Uh, it’s getting late. And it’s a school night for me. So I should probably get going.”

“Oh yeah, totally. I didn’t mean to keep you,” Clarke says as they both get up from the couch.

“No, you didn’t! I had a nice time,” he says. “And thank you for listening.”

“I’m always here if you need me.”

He smiles and steps in for a hug. Clarke revels in the touch as she wraps her arms around his waist. She burrows her head into his neck and takes in his scent. She wishes they could stay like this. She wishes things weren’t so complicated. But she knows that having Bellamy in her life in any capacity is a good thing, and she’s glad he’s her friend.

Bellamy breaks their hug. Clarke follows him as he heads to the door.

“I was serious about watching more Gossip Girl, though. I’m gonna keep going.”

Clarke laughs. “I expect live updates.”

“Obviously. I’ll see you around, Clarke.”

“Yeah.”

He gives her one last smile before leaving. Clarke closes the door behind him once he’s gone and immediately lies back on the floor. So much for keeping her crush in check.

It’s no surprise that Clarke has trouble sleeping after that. She’s still processing everything Bellamy told her and trying to quash her feelings, though she’s failing miserably at it. It seems like a cruel trick of fate that every time she thinks she has her emotions in check, another curveball gets thrown her way, and she’s back to square one.

Clarke does manage to get a few hours of sleep. She probably would have slept a bit better had it not been for the incessant itching of her inner arm. She put a little lotion on it in the middle of tossing and turning, but that doesn’t seem to have helped the situation, since she wakes up and it’s still itchy. A shower will probably help.

She’s not normally one to just stand in the shower, but today Clarke lets the spray of water hit her for a solid two minutes before she makes any move to get clean. She pumps body wash onto her loofah and absentmindedly lifts her arm to scrub at the itchy spot. It seems to help so she moves on to the rest of her body.

By the time Clarke’s shower is over and she towels dry, the itch is back. _What is up with this dry patch of skin?_ She goes over to the mirror and lifts her arm to investigate. It turns out it’s not a dry patch of skin at all.

Clarke frowns at the unfamiliar outline on her arm. She leans over the sink to get a better look in the mirror. It’s a small marking, something that could be easily mistaken for a tattoo or a weird mole. But Clarke doesn’t have tattoos, and last she checked there wasn’t a weird mole on the underside of her arm. As she observes it more closely, she realizes it’s not just a blob, but the outline of an anatomical heart.

It’s just like the day Murphy got his soulmark. They were hanging out and he wouldn’t stop scratching his ribcage. Clarke told him to stop, but he said he couldn’t. She grabbed lotion from her room for him to use and when he lifted his shirt, there was a sideways hook with a swirl on the end that hadn’t been there before.

But this can’t be a soulmark. Clarke doesn’t have a soulmate. And if she’s just getting this mark now, that means she’s in love with—

Clarke stares at her reflection in the mirror as realization floods over her.

“Fuck.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys enjoyed! Leave a comment and let me know what you think. 
> 
> Also if you want to know more about the painting that Bellamy and Clarke looked at, you can find it [here](https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/484760?searchField=All&sortBy=Relevance&when=A.D.+1900-present&what=Paintings&high=on&ft=*&offset=80&rpp=20&pos=83).
> 
> We've got one more chapter left, and I'll be posting it on Saturday, since I tend to post my Memori fic on Fridays.
> 
> And don't forget to come shout with me on [Tumblr](https://queenemori.tumblr.com/)!


	5. Would You Love Me?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! We've reached the final chapter, and I'm so so excited to share this one with you guys! It's about 10k words, so I hope the length makes up for the fact that it's almost over. I've loved hearing what you guys think, and I can't wait to see what you have to say about this one.
> 
> Just as a heads up, there's a brief, fleeting mention of recreational drug use at the beginning of the chapter. There's also another mild smut scene at the end, but I think it's clear when it starts so it's fairly easy to skip over if that's not your jam!
> 
> Chapter title is from [I'm a Fantastic Wreck](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPK2PMGI86E) by Montaigne.

Clarke gets dressed, then spends half an hour internally screaming. She got a soulmark. She's in love with Bellamy. Bellamy is her soulmate.

She paces the apartment. “Fuck!” she shouts, at the same moment Raven walks in the front door.

Raven frowns. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.”

“Then what are you shouting ‘fuck’ for?”

“I just, uh… I remembered I need to call my editor today.”

“Well you’ve got all day.” Raven gives Clarke one last side-eye before making her way to the bathroom.

Once she’s gone, Clarke retreats to her room and continues pacing in the privacy of her own space. She’s not sure what to do. This is a monumentally shitty situation. This is the exact opposite of getting her giant crush in check. How is she supposed to look Bellamy in the eye now that she knows what she knows, but he’s clearly not interested in her? How can she face him? Clarke falls back on her bed, a deep sigh leaving her body. She picks up her phone to text the only person who’ll understand.

_Are you working today?_

_Good morning to you, too._

Clarke rolls her eyes, but types a response. She doesn’t have time to waste.

_Good morning, Murphy._

_Now answer my question._

_No, I’m off today._

_Great. I’m coming over._

She doesn’t bother waiting for a reply. She puts on a hoodie, even though it’s a little too warm outside for one. Of course she had to get her soulmark in a visible spot right as summer is about to start. She grabs her bag and keys, shouts a quick goodbye to Raven, then takes the train to Murphy and Emori’s apartment.

When he buzzes her in, she takes two steps at a time up to the third floor where their apartment is. Murphy is waiting for her in the doorway, still waking up.

“To what do I owe this unexpected wake up call?” he asks as she approaches.

Clarke doesn’t say anything. She takes her arm out of her hoodie and lifts it so Murphy can see the new mark.

His eyes widen. “Fuck.”

“Yeah, no shit.”

“Well I hope we have enough pot for this.” He steps aside to let her in.

“Though I appreciate the offer, I don’t know if I need any weed right this second,” Clarke admits.

“So what’ll help? Coffee? Liquor?”

“Maybe both?”

Clarke follows Murphy into the kitchen, where Emori is sitting on the counter reading the newspaper and sipping on her coffee. She looks up as they come in.

“Hi, Clarke!” she says with a smile. “What’s up?”

Clarke lifts her arm again in response. Emori’s eyes go wide just like Murphy’s had.

“Oh, shit. When did it happen?”

“Some time between last night and this morning, I guess.” Clarke takes the coffee mug from Murphy’s outstretched hand and takes a sip before doing anything else. She almost forgot she asked for liquor until the strong taste of alcohol hits her tongue and she coughs.

“All we’ve got is whiskey, so sorry about that,” he says.

“It’s fine. How much did you put in?”

He shrugs. “A couple shots. I wasn’t really measuring.”

“Good thing I don’t have much to do the rest of the day besides freak out about this mess.”

“Just so we’re clear, Bellamy’s your soulmate, right?” Emori asks.

“I mean, I don’t know who else it would be,” Clarke says before taking another sip of her coffee.

“So what made you realize you were in love?” Murphy asks.

“I’m not even completely sure. We were hanging out last night, and he told me something really personal, and it kind of felt like we had a moment? But I just thought that I was feeling all warm inside because we’re getting to be better friends, not because I’m in love with him!”

“Sometimes it’s kind of one and the same,” Emori says.

“Well what was the moment where you guys realized you were in love?”

Murphy and Emori smile at each other. As much as Clarke loves them, she can’t help but roll her eyes. They’re almost _too_ sweet together.

“Well you were with me when I got my soulmark,” Murphy begins. “But the day before Emori invited me to see her band play, and seeing her up there so in her element was the moment for me, I think.”

“And mine was the next day when John texted me asking questions about my songwriting process. Nobody I’ve ever dated has done that before.”

Murphy nods.“And I don’t say this to rub it in, but we were already dating when we figured out we were soulmates. I’m not sure we’re the blueprint for you in this situation.”

Clarke nods. “Yeah, I get it. God, this is so shitty. Of course I’d get a soulmate who doesn’t even look twice in my direction.”

Emori laughs. Clarke turns to her in confusion.

“Sorry, it’s just funny that you think Bellamy doesn’t like you like that,” Emori says.

“He doesn’t. He has a girlfriend.”

“Maybe so. But I’ve seen the way he looks at you when he thinks nobody’s looking.”

“Murphy, please tell Emori that she’s being ridiculous,” she says turning to her friend.

He shrugs. “I kind of agree with her.”

Clarke scoffs.

“Just hear me out! Octavia’s older brother starts hanging out with all of us, yet you’re the only one he hangs out with alone? Like I know you guys slept together, so you’d interacted before, but still. You don’t see him trying to hang out with the rest of us. Which is a shame, because I think me and Bellamy could be great friends, but he acts like I make him uncomfortable.”

“Stay on topic, John,” Emori says, patting Murphy’s leg.

“The point being, Bellamy hangs out with you because he likes you. And he’ll figure the rest out eventually. It’s literally fate. Even if it is shitty timing.”

Clarke sets down her mug and puts her face in her hands. She’s not sure why she thought coming to talk to a pair of soulmates would make her feel better. Now she’s more overwhelmed than she was before.

“Hey, it’s gonna be okay,” Murphy says as he comes to stand next to her to pat her back.

“But what am I gonna do?” Clarke groans, choking back tears.

“You could always talk to him.”

“That’s not fair. He clearly has no idea and as much as I hate it, he’s with someone else. I can’t get in the way of that. I just want him to be happy.”

“Clarke, he’s your soulmate. The whole point is you’d be happiest together.”

“I’ve been burned too many times, Murphy. You know that. Even when fate is supposedly working in my favor, it still feels like a giant fuck you.”

Clarke’s statement is met with silence. She can’t see, but she assumes Murphy and Emori are sharing a sad look over her head.

“What can we do to help right now?” Emori asks.

“Can we just not talk about it for a little while? I know it’s why I came over, but I could use a distraction.”

Murphy nods. “Sure thing. Since you’re here we might as well do some podcast stuff. Harper was already annoyed that we were behind with planning.”

“I’d like that,” she says, cracking a small smile.

Clarke and Murphy sit together for the rest of the day and work on bits for their live show. They order pizza for lunch and pass a joint back and forth as they spitball ideas. She even naps on the couch for a little while, the sounds of Murphy strumming his guitar lulling her into a false sense of security.

She’s eventually awoken by her phone buzzing. Her heart drops when she sees Bellamy’s name flash across her screen. She hesitates, but she unlocks her phone to read the message.

_Thanks again for last night, I really appreciate you listening._

_Glad to have you as a friend. :)_

And just when Clarke thought her heart couldn’t sink any lower, it does. Friend. Because that’s how Bellamy sees her. Bellamy’s her soulmate, but he only thinks of her as a friend. She didn’t think she could hate a word so much. Tears prick her vision as she types her reply.

_Of course! Always happy to lend an ear._

Normally she’d send another text to keep the conversation going, but she’s not so sure she wants to this time around. She sets her phone down and sits up with a sigh. Murphy looks up from his spot on the floor.

“You good?” he asks.

“Eh, I’ve been better,” Clarke answers honestly, knowing Murphy would see right through a lie anyway.

“I can roll us another joint, if you want.”

“I’m okay.”

“Hey, it’s gonna work out.”

Clarke nods, though she doesn’t believe him. Murphy means well, and she doesn’t want him to think that she doesn’t appreciate his help as she works through this. But even if he does get it to a certain extent, he doesn’t get it. Him finding out that Emori is his soulmate was a welcome surprise. Clarke finding out that Bellamy is her soulmate is definitely a surprise, but whether or not it’s welcome has yet to be determined.

Clarke doesn’t want this to affect her friendship with Bellamy, but she also needs some time to come to terms with this without being around him. She needs distance. It’s the most logical move, and Clarke is all for logic, even when it seems like logic has failed her. She can get through this on her own.

**_________________________**

As the weekend rolls around, Bellamy is still shocked that he was honest with Clarke about his falling out with Octavia. The only other person he’d told the full version of that (not counting his therapist) was Gina. It wasn’t something he had planned on spilling, but in the moment, he knew he could trust Clarke with anything, and he wanted to tell her. It felt nice to share that with someone else, even if he hasn’t known her for all that long. She took the whole thing in stride, or at least Bellamy thought she had.

Ever since their impromptu takeout night, Clarke has been fairly quiet over text. They usually exchange a few messages a day, mostly simple pleasantries, never anything special. But the last text Bellamy got from Clarke was just her response to him thanking her for listening. Normally she would have kept the conversation going, but that’s all she had to say.

Bellamy sits on the couch with his coffee mug, staring at the message for probably the hundredth time. Did he do something wrong? Maybe it _had_ been too soon to open up, and he freaked Clarke out. How else is he supposed to interpret this silence? He decides to send another text, something casual. Just to check in.

_Thinking I might switch up my Grounders order this week._

_Since you’re always making fun of me for getting the same thing._

He knows better than to wait for an instant reply, but that doesn’t stop him from staring until the text bubble appears.

_I was just gonna text you about that!_

_Can I take a rain check on our Wednesday meet-ups? At least until the live show is done._

_Murphy and I are gonna use Wednesdays to prepare._

Bellamy frowns. This wasn’t the response he was expecting at all.

_Yeah, that’s fine!_

_Hope you guys are productive. :)_

_Thanks._

Nothing else after that. Now Bellamy really thinks he did something wrong. But it feels weird to ask that, so he just stares at his phone instead.

“Why do you look like you just got bad news?” Miller asks as he walks into the kitchen and heads straight for the coffee pot.

“I feel like I messed up with Clarke, but I don’t know how.”

“What makes you say that?”

Bellamy extends his phone so Miller can read their conversation.

Miller raises an eyebrow. “It sounds like she’s just busy.”

‘Yeah, but this came right after I opened up about something tough I went through.”

“I doubt that’s why she’s not talking to you right now. She’s got way too much of a crush on you for that to scare her away.”

Bellamy nearly chokes on his coffee at that suggestion. “What? Clarke doesn’t have a crush on me.”

“That’s funny,” Miller laughs.

“You’ve never even met her! What makes you think she likes me?”

“She’s always texting you. She’s the one that suggested you guys start hanging out. She’s made literally every move, both platonically and sexually.”

He shakes his head. “She’s my friend, Miller.”

“I’m not saying she isn’t. But you can’t act like you’ve never fallen for a friend before.”

“I still think you’re being ridiculous,” Bellamy grumbles.

Miller shrugs. “You can think that. You’ll just have to hear me say ‘I told you so’ when it turns out I’m right.”

Bellamy rolls his eyes and takes another sip of his coffee. Clarke doesn’t have a thing for him. Miller’s crazy. Bellamy’s not one to overthink, but hearing those sorts of things makes him want to start. But what good will that do? Even if Clarke did like him, it’s not like he could do anything about it. He’s with Echo. The ship with Clarke sailed the minute she walked away from him at the Arkadia fundraiser and he didn’t do anything to stop it.

When she approached him at the fundraiser, she was definitely flirting with him. And he flirted back, since he had every intention of asking her out before she fled the scene. Why would she have run away if she were actually interested? That doesn’t make any sense. Then at family dinner, she was the first one to suggest that they didn’t have to make a big deal out of their hook up. He was going to say it anyway, since he was about to make things official with Echo, but she beat him to it. That’s not the behavior of someone who has a crush.

He can’t make sense of how Clarke acted at Roan's exhibition opening. Bellamy might not be the quickest when it comes to romance, but there was no mistaking Clarke’s flirty comments. They immediately died down when Echo arrived, and there had been a shift in Clarke’s behavior towards him from that moment on. He chalked her comments up to her having a flirty personality, but that didn’t seem to track with the way she talked to her other friends.

_Does_ Clarke have a crush on him? And why is his heart beating so fast at that thought?

Bellamy has no idea what’s going on. Whatever romantic (if you can even call it that) thing he had with Clarke was fleeting. It’s over now, and he’s moving forward with Echo. He wants to get serious with her. He could have a future with her. He’s only confused because Miller put this idea that Clarke likes him into his head. Clarke doesn’t like him. At least, not like that. _Right?_

He turns to look at Miller where he sits in his armchair, scrolling through his phone. He watches as he chuckles at something, most likely a text from Jackson. Bellamy rolls his eyes. Miller has been with Jackson for almost a year and a half, but they still act like lovey-dovey teenagers, even when the other’s not around. He hopes he can get to that point with Echo.

Bellamy goes through the motions of the next couple weeks, glad that the school year is wrapping up. He loves teaching, but he’ll be glad to have summer break. His Wednesdays feel weirdly empty without his coffee breaks with Clarke. He hadn’t realized how much he looked forward to them until they didn’t happen anymore. He understands that she’s busy getting ready for her live show, and it’s a big part of her life, but the selfish part of him just wants his best friend back.

He’s not sure when he started thinking of Clarke as his best friend. It wasn’t so much of a revelation as it was a gradual build. She’s become the first one he texts when he has a weird interaction with one of his students or if he sees something he thinks will make her laugh. Clarke fits so effortlessly into his life that he didn’t even realize it until she wasn’t around as much anymore. And as he lies awake while he’s staying over at Echo’s, he can finally admit to himself that he misses her.

Bellamy has trouble sleeping that night, but he always has a little trouble sleeping at Echo’s apartment. Her mattress is too soft, but they spend so much time at his apartment that he feels weird when they don’t switch it up every now and again. It doesn’t help that an itch on his arm is killing him. He turns his head to find Echo sound asleep next to him. Man, he wishes he could sleep. At least then he could stop thinking about why his arm is itching so much. He eventually sits up and pads to the kitchen to get a glass of water.

He gets a cup from the cabinet and pulls the Brita out of the fridge. He downs the water and places the cup in the sink. His arm is still so itchy, and no amount of scratching helps. Maybe if he puts some lotion on, it’ll help the itching go down. He goes to the bathroom to use one of Echo’s fancy creams. Bellamy roots through the medicine cabinet until he finds a lotion that doesn’t have a flowery scent. That probably wouldn’t help the itch much.

He squeezes some lotion out of the tube and lifts his arm to apply it to the spot. He’s not expecting to see a new mark on his arm that seems to be the source of the itching. At first glance, it almost looks like a mole, but that can’t be it. He turns his head to look more closely and there it is: the tiny outline of a brain.

“Huh,” he says aloud. _Is this a soulmark?_ He doesn’t know much about them, but they’re all different, so this could very well be what this is.

Bellamy frowns. He just got a soulmark, but he’s not having the reaction he would have expected. Shouldn’t he be excited? This means he’s in love with Echo. Echo is his soulmate. But how did he not realize that he was in love with Echo before getting this mark? He didn’t realize he was there yet with his feelings for her.

Bellamy’s only been in love once, and it was with Gina. And there was a moment where he just knew. It wasn’t a big thing; she just looked over and smiled at him one day while they were sitting together, and his heart swelled. He hasn’t had a moment like that with Echo yet, if he’s thinking about it. But clearly he must have, or else he wouldn’t have gotten this soulmark.

He goes back to bed, though all hope of getting to sleep is lost now. He can’t stop thinking about this. Has Echo figured it out yet? She probably hasn’t, or she would have said something. How is he supposed to bring something like this up? He can hardly say, ‘Hey I think we’re soulmates’ over breakfast. Echo would do that thing with her eyebrows and then tell him he’s being ridiculous. He’s going to have to be discreet about this, especially since they haven’t exchanged ‘I love yous’ yet.

Bellamy gets up before Echo and starts making them breakfast. He knows where everything in her kitchen is, and she has really great kitchen utensils, though she rarely cooks for herself. He puts on the coffee pot, which only ever gets used when he stays over, and gets to work on his pancake batter.

It’s not long before Echo comes into the kitchen and sidles up behind him. She wraps her arms around him from behind and presses a kiss to his shoulder.

“I love waking up to the smell of pancakes,” she says.

Bellamy smiles. “You love waking up to the smell of any food if it means you don’t have to cook it.”

Echo laughs. “You got me there.” She goes to turn on her electric kettle for her tea.

Bellamy watches Echo closely as she gets out a mug and picks a tea bag. He’s not sure how observing her make tea is going to help him figure out if she knows they’re soulmates, but it seems like observation might be his best bet at this point. He wishes she hadn’t put on her robe. This all would be a lot easier if he could just see if there was anything on the underside of her arm.

Once the pancakes are done, they sit at her kitchen island, eating in comfortable silence. Bellamy scrolls through the news on his phone while Echo pages through the New Yorker.

“Do you have any plans the rest of the day?” she asks after a while.

He looks up from his phone. “Not unless you want us to do something.”

“I don’t. Just thought it would be nice to have a lazy day if you didn’t have anywhere to be. We could watch movies and maybe order Thai food for lunch.”

Bellamy bristles at the mention of Thai food. He hopes it’s not noticeable. “Or maybe a pizza?”

Echo raises an eyebrow, but goes back to her magazine. “Pizza’s fine, too. I’m going to take a shower, do you want to join me?”

Bellamy perks up at this suggestion. It’s the perfect excuse for him to snoop for Echo’s soulmark. “Yeah.” He downs the rest of his coffee as Echo jumps up from her seat. He follows her down the hall and to the bathroom.

They don’t fool around too much, since Echo really did want to get clean. But it’s nice to just make out as the warm water sprays down on them. Maybe this is a different type of love than what he felt for Gina. It doesn’t always get his heart racing, but it’s comfortable. He’s never experienced that before, so it’ll probably just take some getting used to.

Eventually they do start to wash up, switching positions so that they each get under the spray of water as the other uses the body wash. Bellamy is rinsing off as Echo lifts her arm to scrub when he notices it. It’s small, and he could have easily mistaken it for a mole before. But it doesn’t look like a mole anymore. It’s a tiny heart, which could definitely be meant to complement his brain.

Bellamy frowns and takes a step forward as he takes hold of Echo’s arm for a closer look. Echo also frowns, going so far as to take a step back.

“What are you doing?” she asks.

“I was looking at the mark on your arm,” he answers, still holding her arm.

“Huh?”

“Your soulmark. It’s a heart, and that goes with my brain thing. It just appeared last night.” Bellamy lifts his own arm so that Echo can see his new mark.

“Bellamy, this is a heart tattoo I got when I was 22. It’s not a soulmark.”

“It’s not?”

“No.”

Bellamy’s now more confused than ever. “Then who the fuck am I in love with?”

Echo frowns at this. “So you’re saying you’re not in love with me?”

“I don’t know! I thought I was, because I got this mark.”

“You shouldn’t need a soulmark to tell you you’re in love with someone, Bellamy.”

“But I don’t know who else it would be if not you! Maybe you just haven’t gotten yours yet.”

“That’s the thing,” she says. “I do love you.”

Bellamy is shocked. “You do?”

Echo nods, crossing her arms to her chest. “I didn’t want to tell you yet. But I love you, and I haven’t gotten a mark.”

He takes a moment to let those words sink in, the only sound being the water coming from the shower head.

“So I have a soulmate. But it’s not you,” Bellamy says.

“I guess not.”

“Huh.”

They lapse into silence again, neither of them sure where to go from here. It probably wasn’t the best idea for them to have this conversation in the shower. But in Bellamy’s defense, he didn’t expect it to end like this.

“I’m gonna get out of the shower now,” he finally decides.

Echo nods. “I think that might be a good idea.”

He moves to get out of the shower but stops when she speaks again.

“Can you not be here when I get out? I know we should probably talk a little more, but I’d rather not do it today.”

“Okay,” he says with a nod. “Echo, I’m really sorry.”

She shakes her head. “I know. But it’s not your fault. It’s fate.”

Bellamy finally steps out of the shower, grabs a towel, and goes back into Echo’s bedroom to get dressed. This is not at all how he had expected his Saturday to go. He grabs the few things that he’s been leaving at her apartment and makes his way to the front door. He takes one last look at the apartment and heads off to face the rest of his day.

Bellamy had no idea Echo wasn’t his soulmate. As he makes his way to the subway, he’s hit with a wave of guilt. He’s done to Echo exactly what Gina did to him. So he knows it sucks, but now that it’s happening to him, he’s not sure there’s another way around it. The biggest difference is, there was never any doubt in Gina’s mind who her soulmate was. Bellamy still has no idea who his could be.

He lets himself into his apartment, glad that Miller is spending the day with Jackson. Bellamy doesn’t think he could have handled all of the questions Miller would inevitably have once he learned about the breakup. He puts his things away, then paces around his apartment, not sure what to do with the rest of his day. He can’t grade papers when his mind is running a mile a minute. He’s restless and he doesn’t want to be alone right now, so he calls Octavia.

She picks up after a few rings. “Hello?” she answers sleepily.

“O? Were you asleep?” Bellamy asks.

“I had some coffee and then I wanted a nap. What’s up?”

“Echo and I broke up.”

Octavia is silent.

“You still there?”

“I think I want lunch,” she finally says. “Do you wanna get lunch?”

Bellamy frowns. “I mean, I could eat, but I don’t see what that has to do with—”

“Great. I’ll text you the address, see you in 30.” Octavia hangs up.

Thirty minutes later, Bellamy is sitting across from Octavia at a diner near her apartment. Octavia waits until they have their meals before launching into the main conversation.

“I couldn’t decide on the phone whether I should hold my tongue or give my honest opinion, so I figured I’d make a decision when I saw you in person.” She takes a bite of her burger.

Bellamy smiles. “You’re not usually one to hold back your opinion.”

“Well I wasn’t gonna say something rude if you seemed upset, but since you don’t seem all that sad about this, I’ll just say it. I didn’t like her.”

“Echo’s very nice, you barely know her.”

“I’m sure she’s nice. But she wasn’t right for you.”

Bellamy can’t disagree with that statement, given the circumstances.

“So what happened?” Octavia asks. “Something must have changed, you seemed pretty into her.”

“Well, I got a soulmark,” Bellamy says.

Octavia looks up from her meal in disbelief.

“Yeah, I was shocked too. It showed up last night. So I thought I must be in love with Echo, and when I asked her about it, she didn’t have a soulmark. So I have a soulmate, I just don’t know who it is.”

“Oh, I can tell you who it is. It’s Clarke.”

Bellamy snorts. “Not you, too.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Miller’s under the impression that Clarke is into me.”

“Does he think you’re into her?”

“He’s never said so.”

Octavia munches on a french fry as she shakes her head. Bellamy feels like he’s missing something.

“So would you care to elaborate as to why you think Clarke is my soulmate?”

She shrugs. “It’s just a feeling I have. It makes sense. You guys act like you’ve known each other for years, when it’s really only been a couple months. And she’s been acting weird lately, which I think has something to do with the fact that you guys aren’t talking right now.”

Bellamy scoffs. “Yeah, and that’s entirely her doing! She cancelled our coffee hang-outs. I know she’s busy getting ready for the live show, but it’s like she’s cut off all contact.”

“And how does that make you feel?”

“Bad! I miss her! She’s basically my best friend at this point. I watched Gossip Girl for her! And I was gonna watch it the other night just for an excuse to text her, but it felt weird to watch it when she wasn’t sitting there next to me. I just want to talk to her and hear about her day and—”

Bellamy trails off as it dawns on him.

“Oh. I’m in love with Clarke.”

Octavia flashes him an unimpressed look. “I told you.”

“Fuck.”

“Why fuck? It’s a good thing.”

“O, she doesn’t feel that way about me.”

Octavia laughs. “That’s funny.”

“She doesn’t! I was gonna ask her out the night of the fundraiser, but she ran away from me! Why would she do that if she’s into me?”

“Listen. Clarke doesn’t do well with feelings. She’s dated a lot of shitty people in the past, so she might just be guarding her heart.”

“But if she’s actually my soulmate, then what’s the problem?”

“Well for starters, up until like an hour ago you were with someone else. And there’s a chance she hasn’t gotten a soulmark yet.”

Bellamy nods. “I just need to talk to her.”

“Well, I doubt you’ll see her before the show. Using it was a good cover to stop seeing people, but she is actually nervous about it.”

“Our timing has been all off.”

Octavia reaches out to put her hand on top of his. “Hey. You guys are gonna figure this out. It’s literally meant to be.”

Bellamy cracks a small smile for the first time in a couple hours. He’s in love with Clarke. She’s his soulmate. The realization had only just hit him like a brick, sneaking up on him the same way Clarke had so quickly made her way into his life. And to think, just a couple months ago when they first met, fate was already working its magic. None of this is happening in the way Bellamy expected, but he’s happy about it.

But Bellamy knows he has to talk to her before he gets too excited about what this means for them. He’s not sure when he’ll even see her next, since she’s so busy with podcast prep. He wants to call her or send her a text, but he knows this is a conversation they should have in person. And if it has to wait until after the live show, then it’ll just have to wait. Bellamy’s sure he’ll be antsy leading up to it, but he doesn’t have a choice. If he’s waited this long for his soulmate he can certainly wait one more week.

**_________________________**

Clarke stands backstage, wringing her hands. Murphy and Harper told her to stop pacing a few minutes ago, so playing with her hands is what she’s left with to calm herself down. A few days ago when Harper told them their Wine and 1099s live show sold out, she was excited. Now, hearing the crowd of people out there only succeeds in making her wildly nervous. She knows she has nothing to worry about. Murphy will be by her side the whole time, and they have a fun show planned. It’s literally just a large group of people that like them and their show. It’s gonna be fine.

She eventually stuffs her hands in the pockets of her blue pinstriped shorts. Her outfit choice was strategic. The blazer that matches her shorts covers her soulmark for when she inevitably lifts her arms. Not that anyone would really see her soulmark in the audience unless they were close, but it makes her feel better knowing it’s not actively on display. She shifts back and forth in her heeled sandals until Harper calls out to her and Murphy.

“Just under five minutes,” Harper tells them as she checks her phone. “Are you guys ready for this?”

Clarke turns to Murphy and they share a smile.

“As we’ll ever be, I guess,” Murphy says with a shrug.

“I don’t think I’ll ever get over how popular your drunken podcast idea got, Murphy,” she begins. “But it’s one of the things that I count myself incredibly lucky to do, because I get to do it with you.”

He smiles and wipes at his eyes. “Fuck, Clarke! You weren’t supposed to make me cry before we got out there.”

Clarke laughs as she pulls her best friend in for a hug. She’s trying not to cry herself. It’d be a shame to mess up the heavy amount of make-up on her face.

“There’s no one else I’d rather be moderately famous with, Griffin,” Murphy says as he pulls away.

“Aw shucks.”

Harper smiles. “I’m so proud of you guys. You’ve put in so much work, and I know I was a bit of a hard ass during this process, but it’s just because I wanted this to go over well. And I think it will. You’re gonna kill it.”

“We love you, Harper!” Clarke and Murphy say in unison as they pull her into a hug.

She laughs. “So I guess it’s time.”

Clarke and Murphy exchange one last smile. Murphy extends his hand and Clarke gladly takes it, giving it a quick squeeze. The lights dim in the venue as the audience quiets down. The moment their theme music begins, Clarke can sense the excitement that’s vibrating through the room as people begin to cheer.

A crew member hands Clarke and Murphy their microphones, and on their cue they walk hand-in-hand out onstage. They’re met with thunderous applause, and even though it’s a little overwhelming, Clarke lets the energy feed her as they take their places in front of the couch that’s center stage.

“Wow!” Murphy says into his mic. “I don’t think I ever imagined myself being this popular!”

Clarke laughs before addressing the audience. “Hi! I’m Clarke.”

“And I’m Murphy.”

“And this is Wine and 1099s live!”

The audience cheers and applauds.

“Now, if you’re here tonight, I’m sure you know the drill,” Clarke turns to Murphy with a giant grin on her face. “We like to complain about being starving millennial artists.”

“We didn’t choose this life. It chose us.”

“And we’re here to commiserate about it for your listening pleasure.”

“And viewing pleasure, since you can see us today,” Murphy adds as they sit down.

“So before we get on with the rest of the evening, I just want everyone to know that I made Murphy cry while we were backstage.”

Murphy shakes his head. “I’m allowed to be sentimental.”

“Yeah, and I’ll hold it over your head for the rest of our lives.”

This garners a laugh from the audience, and Clarke finally feels more excited than nervous. These people are here because they enjoy their show, and they want to support them.

The rest of the show goes really well. It’s more of Murphy and Clarke’s usual banter, with of course some extra things now that people can see them. Clarke’s mom comes onstage and does a live version of ‘Shit My Mom Says to Me’ where she and Clarke recreate some of their more ridiculous text exchanges. Clarke brings back ‘Notable Rejection Letters’, sharing a powerpoint of some of the highlights she’s received over the years. They take audience questions and give live advice, some serious and some silly. They even do ‘Job Swap’ where Murphy and Clarke switch jobs so that Clarke has to critique a song of Murphy’s choosing, while Murphy dissects one of Clarke’s favorite abstract sculptures. There’s a lot of laughter, and Murphy does indeed cry again.

All the stress of the past few weeks leading up to this seems to melt away as Clarke just allows herself to have fun. That’s the whole reason she and Murphy started the podcast, anyway. They just wanted to get drunk and have a good time. And it’s still something fun, even though it’s more of a business venture now.

The evening ends with a meet and greet for VIP ticket holders. Clarke and Murphy take photos with some fans and even receive a few cute gifts. Clarke is floored at some of the people they get to talk to who have been listening to them since practically day one. Most of it passes by in a blur until their friends come up to congratulate them.

Raven and Octavia rush Clarke for a roommate group hug, while Emori nearly tackles Murphy when she launches herself at him. Jasper and Monty bring up the rear, Monty pulling Harper from where she’s standing by the step and repeat so she can be part of the group hug that Jasper orchestrates.

“You guys! It was amazing!” Raven gushes.

Octavia nods. “I laughed a lot.”

“Really?” Clarke asks. She’s still in slight disbelief that it went over so well.

“Absolutely!” Monty chimes in. “You were already pretty funny without the podcast.”

“Yeah, it’s like we get a live show all the time just by being your friends,” Jasper says.

Murphy waves off their compliments. “As much as I love to hear you all gush over us, more of it can be done over alcohol. One of our adoring fans gifted me an entire bottle of tequila.”

“What brand?” Raven and Jasper say at the same time.

Clarke laughs as they both approach Murphy to inspect the bottle. She moves to join them, but turns when Octavia taps her on the shoulder.

“You have another visitor,” she says, gesturing behind her.

Clarke looks over Octavia’s shoulder and locks eyes with Bellamy. He starts toward her once their eyes meet, a sheepish grin spreading across his face. His shoulders are tensed, but he’s definitely happy to see her. She hasn’t seen him since the night he came over to her apartment, and she’s been looking forward to this moment just as much as she’s been dreading it. Her heart pounds in her chest, and she wouldn’t be surprised if everyone around her could hear it.

“Hi, Clarke.” Bellamy comes to a stop in front of her.

“Bellamy. Hi.”

They stare at each other, neither one of them knowing what to say. Clarke’s not sure any amount of time could have prepared her for this, but even after not seeing him for weeks this still feels too soon. She’s not ready to face him.

“This is a really loaded silence,” Octavia remarks. “So I’m gonna go over there.”

Clarke feels the blood rushing to her cheeks as Octavia walks away. Bellamy chuckles to himself before clearing his throat.

“Uh… The show was really great,” he says, running a hand through his hair.

“You really thought so?”

“Yeah. You and Murphy have such a great dynamic, and it was cool to watch it rather than just listen for once.”

She smiles. “Thank you. I’m glad you could come.”

“I wouldn’t have missed it.”

They lapse into silence again, which is interrupted by Jasper’s cries that the afterparty is at Murphy and Emori’s apartment. The rest of Clarke’s friends start to file out, Murphy and Harper rounding out the group as they gather their things.

“Oh, are we going?” Clarke asks Murphy.

Murphy eyes Bellamy and smirks. “You can catch up.”

Clarke frowns, not sure what he’s getting at, but she turns back to Bellamy once he’s gone.

“Would you maybe want to take a walk?” he asks.

“Oh, I don’t want to keep you from Echo. She’s probably wondering where you are.”

“I didn’t come with Echo.”

“Huh?” Had Clarke heard that right? What does that mean?

“She’s not here.”

“Oh,” she finally says, not sure what else to say.

“So… that walk?” Bellamy asks again.

Clarke nods. “Let me just grab my bag, and I’ll be ready. I’ll meet you by the entrance?”

“Okay.”

She smiles and heads backstage for her things. She hasn’t seen Bellamy look so determined before, but she has no idea what this conversation could be about. And where is Echo? Didn’t he say they had gotten their tickets together?

Bellamy is standing by the entrance waiting for her, hands in his pockets as he shifts back and forth on his feet. Why does he look so nervous? Clarke’s stomach is in knots as she makes her way back over to him.

He smiles as she approaches. “Ready?”

She smiles back. “Yeah.”

They walk out into the muggy night. Clarke is sweating under the heat of her blazer and being with Bellamy for the first time since she found out they’re soulmates, but she’s certainly not going to take her blazer off, no matter how warm she gets. Bellamy doesn’t need to know he’s her soulmate. Not yet, at least.

Neither one of them says a word for the first block, until Bellamy finally breaks the silence. “I feel like I haven’t seen you in forever.”

“Yeah, the only people I’ve really seen lately are Murphy and Harper. And Emori, since me and Murphy did most of the planning at his place.”

He nods. “This might sound a little silly, but it kind of felt like you were avoiding me? And I thought maybe it was because I told you all that stuff about Octavia a little too soon.”

Clarke’s stomach drops and she stills on the sidewalk. Bellamy stops a second later when he realizes she isn’t in step with him anymore.

“Bellamy, no, that wasn’t it at all! I’m so sorry you thought that. I didn’t even think you’d give the radio silence a second thought.”

“Why wouldn’t I? You’re my friend.”

Clarke smiles, but it almost feels like a grimace. “Right.”

Bellamy frowns. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It’s nothing.” She brushes past him.

“It’s clearly not nothing,” Bellamy says as he catches up to her.

Clarke groans in frustration. This isn’t _fair._ She can’t say any of the things she wants to say because she doesn’t want to invalidate what Bellamy has with Echo. She doesn’t want to ruin what little friendship with Bellamy she has, yet she’s still finding a way to ruin it by acting like this.

“Clarke, hey.” Bellamy gets in front of her and takes her hands in his. Tears well up in her eyes and she can’t stand to look at him.

“Talk to me,” he says.

“There’s so much I want to say to you,” she begins. “But I can’t say any of it. It’s not fair to you and Echo.”

“Clarke, Echo and I broke up.”

She finally looks at him, her eyes wide. “What?”

“We broke up.”

“When?”

“Last week.”

“But you guys seemed so solid.” Clarke frowns, though the selfish part of her is delighted at the news.

Bellamy shrugs. “Yeah, I thought so, too. But I think maybe I was just fooling myself.”

Clarke’s heart is thumping so hard it’s threatening to escape her chest. “Bellamy, what are you trying to say?”

“I was fooling myself because something was drawing me to you. Right from the moment we saw each other at that bar. And I wanted to ignore it because my last relationship got torn apart by two other people fated to be together, but that’s what this is between us. Fate.”

He lets go of her hands, pulls his left arm out of his jacket, and lifts it to reveal a brain tattoo. Clarke’s breath catches in her throat.

“What? What is that?” she asks, still in shock.

“You know what it is,” Bellamy says earnestly.

Clarke takes her own arm out of her blazer and shows him her heart. Bellamy lets out a laugh as tears well up in his eyes.

“I was avoiding you because I didn’t want you to know I was in love with you. Not when you were with somebody else,” she finally says.

Bellamy smiles, bringing a hand up to cup Clarke’s cheek. “I didn’t even realize how much you meant to me until you weren’t around all the time. I know it was only a couple weeks, but it was torture.”

Clarke chuckles, struggling to hold back her own tears. “Torture, huh? That’s pretty extreme.”

“It’s the only way to describe it. I just know I never want to feel that way again. And I won’t have to, because I’m not gonna lose you.”

“Bellamy.”

“Clarke, I love you,” he says. He keeps his eyes locked with hers, a stare so intense that Clarke feels like he’s seeing into her soul.

“I love you, too,” she says.

He smiles, and starts to lean in before she stops him.

“Bellamy, I’m scared,” Clarke whispers.

Bellamy presses their foreheads together. It helps to calm her down, but not as much as what Bellamy says next.

“Hey,” he begins. “I’m scared, too. But everything that’s happened for both of us has led us to this moment. To each other. We’re meant to be, Clarke. And I’m not going anywhere. I promise.”

She nods, and she doesn’t think she could ever love anyone the way she loves Bellamy. It’s intense and scary, but she wants this so much. She wants every bit of him, and she still can’t believe he feels the same way, even with their soulmarks to prove it. She finally closes the distance between them.

The kiss is nothing short of perfect, much softer than the last time they kissed. It’s slow and decadent, as they learn each other now that they know they’re in love. Clarke melts into Bellamy and the rest of the world fades away. She’s not on a busy Brooklyn sidewalk. She’s in the arms of her soulmate, and this is the start of their forever.

Bellamy eventually breaks the kiss and they take a moment to catch their breath.

“As much as I want to keep kissing you, we probably shouldn’t give innocent passersby a show,” he mumbles.

Clarke laughs. “It’s New York, I’m sure they’ve seen weirder things on the street.”

“You’re probably right,” he chuckles.

“So,” she says, waggling her eyebrows. “Your place or mine?”

The subway ride from Brooklyn back to Manhattan is excruciating. Clarke knows it’ll be worth the wait, but all she can think about is ripping Bellamy’s clothes off the minute they’re behind closed doors. They get off at his stop and he must have the same idea, seeing as he grabs her hand and practically runs the rest of the way to his apartment. He fumbles with his keys as he opens the door, but once the door is closed behind them, Bellamy is on her as he pushes her up against the door and presses a searing kiss to her lips.

Heat pools in Clarke’s stomach as she opens her mouth to let Bellamy’s tongue in. It’s almost embarrassing how turned on she already is, but she chalks it up to the realization that her soulmate actually does love her back.

Bellamy’s lips move from hers to her neck and Clarke moans at the new sensation.

“Bedroom,” she gasps.

“On it,” Bellamy says, his voice rough. He reaches his arms around to lift her, and Clarke laughs, but instinctively wraps her legs around his waist as he carries her to his room.

She lets out an excited yelp as Bellamy throws her on the bed. He pulls off his shirt with ease as Clarke sheds her blazer and tosses it aside. She pulls Bellamy in by the belt loops and brings his mouth back to hers. He helps her get her shirt off, then lays them down as they go back to kissing.

Bellamy’s mouth finds its way back to her neck and he presses kiss after searing kiss into her skin. Her eyes flutter shut as she melts into his touch. She threads a hand in his hair, letting him work his way down her body. He stops at the underside of her arm where her soulmark is, pressing gentle kisses there. It’s almost enough to make Clarke cry. She is so in love with this man, and the way he’s kissing down her body is almost reverent. Clarke’s had a decent amount of sex, but nobody’s made love to her like this, made her feel this special or important.

“Bellamy,” Clarke breathes. “I love you, but if you don’t speed this up a little I’m gonna lose my mind.”

Bellamy chuckles, presses a kiss to Clarke’s stomach, then expertly unhooks her bra.

“You don’t need to tell me twice,” he says.

Things pick up from there, as Bellamy easily slides off Clarke’s shorts. He goes back to kissing down her body, spending extra time at her breasts, just the way he did last time. Clarke closes her eyes and lets Bellamy work his magic. A hand slides past the waistband of her underwear, his finger brushing against her clit. She moans as Bellamy pulls her underwear all the way off.

“Clarke,” Bellamy grunts. “Look at me, baby.”

She opens her eyes to see Bellamy, looking as in love as a person can look with their pupils fully blown.

“I’m gonna take care of you,” he says.

Clarke nods, and then he’s sinking a finger into her. She was so wet to begin with, it’s not long before he’s adding another. She’s pliant under Bellamy’s touch, letting him run the show. Last time they were in his bed, she took the lead, since he had seemed so nervous, but it’s like a switch flipped, and she’s more than happy to let Bellamy be in charge.

Her back arches off the bed as he pushes her over the edge. She pulls his mouth back up to hers as she catches her breath.

“You’re wearing too many clothes,” she mumbles.

“We can fix that.”

She pulls at his zipper and helps get his pants and boxers down. It’s not as though she hasn’t seen Bellamy naked before, but there’s something different about it this time. He’s not just an attractive guy she’ll probably never see again, but her soulmate, the love of her life. And the way he looks at her sends a thrill down her spine. Like she’s the most beautiful person he’s ever seen. Like they’re the only two people in the world and nothing else matters.

Once he’s got a condom, he positions himself over her, taking a moment to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. She chuckles, not sure what that’s going to help when it’s just going to move again, but he does it with such care, like it’s the most important thing in the world to him. He leans down to kiss her again, and it’s filled with heat but still somehow soft, before lining himself up and thrusting into her.

Their pace is steady once he’s inside her, even thrusts accompanied by whispered ‘I love yous’. They move together as one, and Clarke doesn’t think she’s ever experienced anything like this. Sex with Bellamy was great the first time, but this time—now that they’re in love— is even better. He presses kisses to her mouth, her neck, her forehead, and she’s almost overwhelmed with the amount of love he’s showing her, and how much she has for him.

Clarke feels like she’s floating once they’re finished, and she doesn’t want to let Bellamy go. They lie facing each other on their sides, Bellamy idly lacing his fingers in her free hand. He breaks the silence by laughing.

“What?” she asks.

“Nothing, nothing,” he says. “I was just thinking about how a couple months ago I was really nervous to ask for your number, because I didn’t think I was supposed to do that.”

Clarke’s eyebrows skyrocket. “You wanted to ask me for my number?”

“Yeah. But Miller told me that’s not how casual sex works, and I got in my head about it.”

“Bellamy, I would have given you my number!” Clarke laughs at how ridiculous their situation must look to an outsider.

“Really?”

“Yeah. I wasn’t kidding when I said I thought your whole nervous thing was cute.”

Bellamy chuckles, pulling his hand away to cover his face. “No, that’s embarrassing!”

“It’s not! I promise. It’s part of our story.”

He removes his hand from his face and takes hers again.

“Yeah. And even though our story is a little crazy, I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”

“Me neither.”

“Good.” He brings her hand to his lips and kisses it. “I love you, Clarke.”

“I love you, Bellamy.” She settles herself into his outstretched arms and they talk quietly until sleep overcomes them.

Clarke wakes up in Bellamy’s bed and marvels at how different it is from the first time she was here. She wakes up in his arms, comforted by his sleeping form being the first thing she sees as she opens her eyes. She smiles to herself as she watches Bellamy’s even breathing. She doesn’t want to bother him, wants to let him wake up naturally. She can’t help but feel her heart swell as she thinks about how she gets to have this forever. Waking up to her soulmate. She never thought it would happen for her, but it is, and everything seems to have worked out in her favor for once.

Bellamy stirs and his eyes blink open. A sleepy smile spreads across his face.

“Good morning,” he says.

“Good morning,” she says with a smile of her own.

“It’s nice to wake up and find you still in bed for once,” Bellamy jokes.

Clarke laughs. “In my defense, last time I was late to meet Murphy to record. But I could get used to this.”

“Good. Because you’re stuck with me.”

Clarke can’t help the goofy grin that spreads across her face as she closes the distance between them for a lazy morning kiss. Bellamy rolls over, placing himself on top of her as things get more heated. She moves her hands to the waistband of Bellamy’s boxers and she’s about to pull them off when they’re interrupted by her stomach growling.

They both laugh as they pull apart. Bellamy presses one last kiss to Clarke’s lips before getting out of bed.

“I guess I should start on breakfast,” he says as he throws on a t-shirt.

“And coffee?” Clarke asks.

“Obviously.” He smiles and disappears down the hall.

Clarke smiles to herself and stretches as she pulls the covers back and gets out of bed. She pulls on her shirt from the day before along with a pair of Bellamy’s sweatpants and makes her way out into the kitchen. She’s not expecting to see anyone other than Bellamy, so she stops dead in her tracks when two other men are standing in the kitchen as well.

They all turn to look at her, and Clarke feels her face heat up. Bellamy rushes to her side, an excited twinkle in his eye.

“Clarke, this is my roommate Miller and his boyfriend Jackson,” Bellamy says. “Guys, this is Clarke. My soulmate.”

Clarke’s stomach flips. That’s the first time either of them has said it out loud, and he said it with such ease. That’s Clarke’s favorite thing about this crazy situation she’s found herself in with Bellamy. She’s never been more sure of anything in her life.

“It’s nice to finally meet you, Clarke,” Miller says, a shit eating grin spreading across his face.

“We’ve heard a lot about you since Bellamy talks about you constantly,” Jackson adds. “Even when you were just friends.”

Clarke giggles and turns to Bellamy, who ducks his head as if trying to hide the growing blush on his face.

“I think I talked about you a normal amount,” Bellamy mumbles.

“Sure you did,” Miller nods. He shoots Clarke another look and shakes his head in contradiction of his previous statement. Clarke laughs. She could get used to Miller and Jackson.

“Do you want some eggs, Clarke?” Jackson asks from the stove.

“Yeah, that sounds great.” She steps further into the kitchen and leans against the counter as Bellamy pours her a cup of coffee.

Breakfast is a lot of fun. Clarke listens as Miller and Bellamy throw lighthearted jabs at each other while Jackson just rolls his eyes. He does the best job of keeping Clarke involved in the conversation, though Clarke doesn’t mind just observing. Bellamy keeps his leg pressed against hers for all of breakfast and Clarke gladly leans into his touch. Even though this thing they have is new, it feels natural, and she can’t wait to experience more moments like this with Bellamy for the rest of her life.

**_________________________**

_One Month Later_

Bellamy’s 30th birthday just so happens to coincide with family dinner, so Octavia made it an excuse to have a big birthday celebration. It was supposed to be a surprise, but Clarke knows that Bellamy isn’t a fan of making everything about him, so she gave him warning so he could prepare himself. She told him to at least play along. And it already wasn’t a surprise when he got a text from Murphy asking what his favorite meal was. Still, he couldn’t help but feel touched that all these people he barely knew a few months ago were putting in so much effort to celebrate him on his birthday.

Bellamy’s never been one to make a big deal out of birthdays. It was a habit held over from childhood, since his mom always ended up being busy. Their neighbor would bake him some cupcakes, and his mom would get him a card and order pizza, but there was no real fanfare. Before he started hanging out with Octavia again, he assumed that he would get drinks with Miller and Jackson, then call it a day. Apparently, Octavia wouldn’t hear of that.

“She’s probably trying to make up for the years she missed,” Clarke says a couple days before the party as they’re watching more Gossip Girl together.

“She doesn’t have to do all this, though. I don’t hold it against her,” Bellamy responds.

“I know that. And so does she, I think. But she just wants to do something nice for you. And Murphy’s ribs are killer, so you’re very lucky. He hardly ever makes them.”

He smiles at her and presses a kiss to the top of her head as she curls further into his side. The past month since he and Clarke finally got their shit together has probably been the best month of his life. They’re practically inseparable, especially now that school’s out for the summer, and Bellamy doesn’t have to go anywhere. They spend most of their time at his apartment, because it weirded them both out the way Octavia and Raven would just grin at them when they were over at Clarke’s.

They’ve gone on some double dates with Murphy and Emori. Bellamy was hesitant at first, but he could hardly say no to Clarke’s best friend, and the only other soulmate couple they know. Bellamy didn’t know what to expect, but he’s had a nice time the few times they’ve gone out. Murphy’s pretty funny once you get used to him. And it’s been nice to get to know Emori better.

The truth is, Bellamy loves his new group of friends. He was a little worried he would feel weird about being the oldest, but he doesn’t mind it. He kind of loves that Jasper has started asking him for advice, even if the whole thing started as a joke. He loves how Harper always asks him about his students and that Monty tells jokes that are even worse than his. He loves Raven’s snark and he loves how loyal Octavia is to her group.

He counts himself grateful for his new group of friends as his sister and his soulmate come out of their kitchen leading everyone in ‘Happy Birthday’ and holding a chocolate cake with way too many candles on it.

“Make a wish,” Clarke says once they’re finished singing. She wraps her arms around his shoulders to hug him from behind.

Bellamy smiles. “Is it cheesy to say I’ve already got my wish?”

From the groans most of them make, it definitely is.

“That’s disgusting,” Raven says.

“I’m in love, it’s allowed!” Bellamy protests.

Clarke laughs and kisses him on the cheek. “I love how sappy you are.”

He grins before finally blowing out his candles. Everyone cheers and Clarke plops herself down in his lap as Murphy begins to cut the cake.

Bellamy wasn’t kidding when he said he’d already gotten his wish. He has Clarke, and there’s nothing else he needs. His love for her runs deep, in a way that would be overwhelming were it anyone else, but it’s not with her. She’s his soulmate, his person, his forever. And even if they got together in a roundabout way, that’s just part of what makes their story unique. He whispers an ‘I love you’ into Clarke’s ear, something he doesn’t think he’ll ever tire of doing. She blushes and whispers it back, and Bellamy has never been more thankful for his crazy twist of fate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And cue [Heartbreak Weather](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4L3EQ6ljcU) as the credits roll!
> 
> Thank you again to everyone for reading! Your kudos and comments have fueled me, and it makes me so happy that you guys love this story so much, because I love it so much. It's definitely my favorite Bellarke thing I've written.
> 
> Another big thank you to Siv, Mobi, Chloe, and the entire Bellarke Big Bang fam! It's been so fun these past few months sharing snippets and doing sprints with you. You all definitely kept me motivated and it's been lovely to interact with so many other talented writers and artists!
> 
> Don't forget, I'm accepting prompts for [t100 Fic for BLM](https://t100fic-for-blm.tumblr.com/), and we're trying to reach $2,000 donated to BLM causes by The 100's series finale! If you like what you read here and want to prompt me, don't be shy! I'd love to write Bellarke, Memori, or AU Murven! And there are other great writers and content creators involved.
> 
> And as always, come and find me on [Tumblr](https://queenemori.tumblr.com/)!


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